


Always, Stand by Me

by enzeru



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canonical Character Death, Cats, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Game Spoilers, Kidnapping, M/M, Male Slash, Minor Character Death, Murder, New Relationship, Rated Mature for Later Chapters, Torture, Yaoi, long fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-23
Updated: 2013-08-20
Packaged: 2017-12-09 07:08:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/771433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enzeru/pseuds/enzeru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU - Souji Seta goes to live in the small town of Inaba with his uncle and cousin,  after his parents divorce.  He gets a job taking care of the cats at a pet boarding facility, where he befriends his coworker, Yosuke Hanamura.  The two quickly grow close, with mutual feelings of affection developing between them, but a glimpse of a traumatic event from Yosuke's past causes Souji to grow concerned and protective of him.  Things soon get hectic, as a string of strange murders begin to plague the small town and Souji's friends.  </p><p>In this AU the Personae, The Velvet Room and the TV World do not exist. </p><p>NOTE - Will contain: sex m/m, torture and murder.  Will spoil game/anime and will follow a similar base story but will have significant changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Yasoinaba

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, please be gentle with the critiques. All major characters will appear later and it may take me some time to fully write this but I won't abandon it. Tags are for future chapters as well. Please bare with me ^__^
> 
> Feel free to leave me critiques, I don't really post my writing often so I have a limited audience =D
> 
> NOTE: I have a few friends reading my fic that are unfamiliar with honorifics and Japanese Culture. At the end of the latest chapter is a note on the honorifics that I wrote for you guys, please take a look by clicking the link below.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souji meets Yosuke at his future place of employment and the two click right away.

_Purrrrrrrr_

Soft, striped orange fur, thin whiskers and a tiny pink nose.

Yosuke scratched the kitten behind its ears.  It rolled its head gently into his palm, scratching its head on the boys’ fingernails, purring loudly.  Despite listening to music over his headphones, he could still hear the kitten’s strong purrs.  Yosuke smiled and refilled the kitten’s food bowl before closing the kennel door.  He grabbed a watering can from the nearby sink, filled it with fresh water and then weaseled the narrow spout between the bars on the other kennel doors, filling the bowls with water. 

This is Yosuke Hanamura.  He's sixteen years old, just starting his second year of high school and works here, at Kunsaki Pet Inn, a pet boarding facility.  He moved here from the city about six months ago, when his father accepted a job managing a brand-new Junes store, the first in Inaba.  It’s a plain, tiny town out in the sticks and Yosuke is none too thrilled to be here, though he’s glad he chose this job over his other option.  His father, as overbearing as he was, told Yosuke he’d be working for him at Junes.  Without his father’s consent, he went out and found a job at the pet boarding facility, signing employment papers before his father could force him to do so for Junes.  Despite how angry his father was, Yosuke was pleased to be even just slightly out from under his father’s thumb.

“Um, excuse me?”

An unfamiliar voice and knock on the door frame came from behind Yosuke.  He stopped filling the bowls and turned around to see a young man, probably about his age, slightly taller than himself, with light gray hair and piercing gray eyes.  He had gentle features and a kind smile.

“Hmm?”

“I’m looking for Miss Kunsaki.  The girl at the front told me she was back here but I didn’t see her in the office.”

“Oh, she should be around here somewhere, hang on.” Yosuke sat the watering can down, walked past the gray-haired teen and down the hallway.  He peeked into a few rooms, stopping suddenly when he saw the long, bleached-blonde hair belonging to his boss, who was lifting a box above her head.  She was about Yosuke’s height, slightly curvy, with a low ponytail and side-swept bangs. “Aya, there’s a guy here to see you.”

The woman jumped a little, surprised by Yosuke’s sudden appearance in the doorway behind her. “Oh, Yosuke-kun. Is it 7 already?” She brushed off her navy apron and followed Yosuke back out into the hallway.  Her eyes focused on the gray-haired young man down the hall. “Seta?  I’m Aya Kunaski, glad to finally meet you!” she reached out to shake hands and the young man quickly accepted.

“Yes, I’m Souji Seta.  It’s nice to finally meet you as well.”

“Did you find the place okay? How was the trip?” The two chatted as they walked down the hallway.  Yosuke arched a brow and studied them.

_Is she dating this guy or something? No way, he looks too young for her._

Aya stopped at the door to her office, motioning for the young man to go in ahead of her before she turned to the brunet staring down the hall. “Yosuke-kun, this is a new hire.  He’ll be training with you starting tomorrow, okay?  After you finish with the cats, you can go home for the evening.  It’s supposed to rain, so be careful.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

The woman entered her office and closed the door as Yosuke went back to work. “Sorry about that” the woman said as she sat in the chair behind the metal desk, just as Souji hooked his umbrella handle onto the arm of his chair.  “So, Seta-kun, here is your paperwork to fill out.  Your prior experience will be a great help, we only have Yosuke-kun working with the cats right now, so we could use the extra hands.” She handed a thin stack of papers to Souji, who smiled as he took the papers, glancing them over as she spoke.

“I worked for a small pet hospital in the city, but only in the pet boarding area.  I was in charge of taking care of the cats mostly, but I worked with several different breeds of dogs as well.”

“That’s great to hear.  Doctor Ichigani gave you nothing but rave reviews.  It looks like this was a match made in heaven!” The woman smiled cheerfully.  Her speech was very casual and she was fairly young but her demeanor and smile told Souji that this woman really enjoyed her job. “You’ll be starting tomorrow afternoon.  I know it’s a Saturday but we’re actually less busy on the weekends because some of our regular customers travel to the city for work during the week.  Inaba is my home and I love it here but it’s such a tiny little place.  Not to mention, a Junes opened about five months ago, so some of the local businesses have closed down and forced the locals to seek jobs in the city.”  She seemed to startle a little but giggled and smiled, “I’m so sorry for rambling!”

Souji chuckled at her little rant. “That’s alright.  When should I be in tomorrow?”

“We open in the morning and close at 7 pm but we have someone here overnight to keep an eye on the pets.  You’ll work the afternoon shift with Yosuke-kun, so, from Noon to 7 pm.” The blonde woman spun in her chair and removed a navy apron from a box behind her desk. “Here’s your apron, feel free to take it home with you daily, or you can leave it in your locker here.  We don’t have a uniform policy, so wear whatever you’d like but it’s probably best to wear non-slip shoes.”

Souji took the apron and noticed the cute dog and cat logo on the front.  He sat it in his lap as the woman handed him a pen.

“Go ahead and fill out your paperwork now, I need to help Ayane-kun close up.  Let me know if you need anything.”

“Sure, thank you.” Souji glanced around the room after she left.  There were a few licenses on the walls but they were mainly filled with pictures of animals with the staff.  Everyone looked really happy.  He smiled and began the arduous task of filling out his paperwork.

 

 

A short while later, Yosuke finished his duties, closing the door behind him, trash bag in hand.  He passed the office, glancing in to see the young man sitting in the chair, writing.  He continued down the hall, turning and exiting through a back door.  As the door slammed shut behind him, he looked up at the sky and sighed.  It was dark gray, clouds covering as far as the eye could see, and it had been raining for probably about 15 minutes now.

“Great,” the teen mumbled sarcastically to himself. “Hell of a day to forget my umbrella.” He lifted the heavy metal lid to the trash can, throwing the bag in before quickly darting back inside the building.  He brushed the water off of his head and headphones before walking over to the front desk area.  “Oh, did Ayane already go home?” Yosuke leaned on the counter as he looked around for his coworker.

“I sent her home just a few minutes ago.  You’re done with the cats I take it?  If so, you’re good to clock out and go home.  Thanks for your work today.”

“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow, Aya.” Yosuke headed to the break room, tossed his apron in his locker and pulled on his jacket before grabbing his backpack.  He picked up a time card with his name on it and swiped it through the time clock, which beeped.  Aya filed some papers away as Yosuke walked out the front doors.  She headed back to her office, to see Souji checking his phone.

“Sorry to have left you alone for so long, are you done?”

“Oh, it’s fine.  I finished the paperwork.” He handed her the thin stack of paperwork, which she skimmed over quickly.

“Okay, looks like everything is in order.  I’ll have your punch code entered in our time clock before I leave, so you can clock in tomorrow normally.  The time clock is in the break room, just down the hall, third door on the left. You’re good to go, see you tomorrow at noon.”  She reached out and shook Souji’s hand again.

“Yes, thank you very much Miss Kunsaki.”

“Oh,” the young woman waved her hand apologetically, “Don’t be so formal, everyone calls me Aya here, so you can do the same.”

Souji smiled and nodded, “Alright then, have a good night Aya-sama.”

“I suppose that will have to do.”  She said with a slight chuckle as Souji smiled and left the office.

 

 

He exited the building through the front doors, to notice the same brunet boy who helped him before, standing under the awning, with headphones pulled over his head.  “Hello again.”  Souji spoke loud, to ensure the young man heard him.  Yosuke immediately took notice and pulled the headphones down to his neck, turning to his gray-haired coworker.

“Hey there.”  He stood with his hands in his pockets, rocking backwards on his heels. “I’m Yosuke Hanamura, by the way.  Aya said you’re training with me tomorrow, nice to meet you.”  Yosuke extended his hand with a smile.

 _He’s got a nice smile_ , Souji thought to himself as he shook his hand and smiled back, “I’m Souji Seta and it’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Be careful in the rain.  I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”  The brunet said as he shoved his hand back into his pocket and fiddled with his mp3 player.

Souji opened his umbrella and was about to take a step forward, but he stopped.  “Are you waiting for someone?”

“Oh, no I’m not. I, um…” he made a small wince.  ”I kinda forgot my umbrella and I live a few miles from here, so I’m waiting for the rain to let up a little.”

“How far?”

“Huh?”

“How far is it from here?”

“Uh, it’s about two miles.  I live on Oberon Street; it’s off the main road.”

“Do you want to share?” Souji gestured with his umbrella.

Yosuke blinked, wide-eyed before he smiled.  He didn’t want to inconvenience this guy at their first meeting; he already felt irresponsible, having forgotten his umbrella despite his mother reminding him this morning.  “Oh, thanks but, I don’t want to impose.  I’ll be alright.”

“I’ll be going that way anyway.  It’s really not a problem.”

“Are you sure?” Yosuke stopped his rocking and looked up at the gray-haired young man.  The umbrella wasn’t terribly large and they’d each get a wet shoulder on the way, but it was better than getting completely soaked.

Souji propped the umbrella against his shoulder. “Last chance.”

“...Yeah, okay.  Thanks a lot.”  Yosuke smirked and stepped under the umbrella, next to his new coworker, as they began to walk at a leisurely pace. _Guess this is as good a time as any to get to know him_. “So, Souji-kun?  I haven’t seen you around, did you just move to Inaba?”

“Yeah, I just moved in from the city a few days ago.  My parents recently got a divorce, so I’m staying here with my Uncle and cousin for at least the next school year.  My Uncle’s a detective in the police force.”

Yosuke’s eyes brightened.  Finally, he’d found a kindred-spirit. “Oh, you’re from the city?  I am too, my family just moved here six months ago, actually.”

Souji glanced at Yosuke casually. “How do you like it?”

“It stinks.” Yosuke kicked at a rock as they walked.  “It’s tiny, there’s nothing to do here and all anyone does is gossip.  But, it’s kind of quaint, I guess”

“It doesn’t seem too bad, but I like visiting new places.”

“Hmm,” Yosuke was trying to think of a direction to take their conversation, “So, did you enroll for school yet? It starts in a week.”

“Yeah, I took care of it today.  Yasogami, I think?”

“Yep, that’s it.  I transferred in about mid-September, so I got to know a few people but…”  he trailed off as his head sunk momentarily before quickly shooting back forward, but Souji noticed it.  “Some of them weren’t very friendly.”

“Tough crowd?” Souji was curious as to why a bright guy from the city would have a problem making friends.

“Eh, it’s my father. He’s the manager of the new Junes that opened.  A lot of the local shops are struggling and a few of them closed up already.”  Souji could hear remorse in his voice and his taupe-colored eyes looked lonely.  This kid didn’t want to be here. “So, I guess they’re taking their frustration out on me because I’m his son.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.  You seem like a nice guy though, so don’t let it get to you.  They’ll come around.”

Yosuke glanced over at his coworker.  Now that he was able to get a good look at him in such close-proximity, he could tell he was quite good-looking.  His nails were trimmed neatly and his hair was shiny; he looked confident and had a smooth way of talking; he was masculine but had soft features and a model-like profile.  And those eyes…they were a really striking gray hue.  Yosuke had never seen anyone with gray eyes before, at least not in person.  After a moment of Yosuke’s staring, Souji glanced at him.  Yosuke quickly looked away and felt a small warmth creep onto his face.

 _Was he just blushing?_   Souji made a small, understated chuckle at Yosuke’s reaction and hoped the young man next to him didn’t hear.

“Oh, hey my house is down here.”  The two turned down Yosuke’s street and ended up at his house a few moments later.  “Thanks a lot for walking me home, I appreciate it.”  Yosuke rubbed the back of his neck, “Do you want to come in for a sec to get out of the rain?”

“No, that’s alright.  I don’t live much further.”

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yep, see you at noon.  Good night, Yosuke-san.”

 

_*Thump*_

“Y-yeah, have a good night Souji-san.”  They exchanged waves and Souji turned, walking back down the sidewalk. Yosuke stumbled in the front door.

 _T-thump?  Seriously, did I just blush when he said my name?  I mean, he’s really good-looking but….wait, what the hell am I thinking?_  

Yosuke ruffled his hair in his hands and removed the thought from his mind as he slid his shoes off and headed upstairs to his room.  The house was empty; his mother was likely working with his father.  He tossed his bag beside his bed while changing songs on his mp3 player.  Yosuke’s eyes absentmindedly wandered across the room and stopped on a band poster.  The drummer had gray eyes. He smiled to himself before heading downstairs to make some dinner.

_Tomorrow should be an interesting day._

 

 

Souji closed the door to the Dojima residence. “I’m home.”

“Welcome back.” Souji’s cousin, Nanako, greeted him.  She was an adorable young girl, but very mature for her age.  “What did you do today?”

“I registered for school and stopped by my work to fill out paperwork; nothing too exciting.  It seems like it will be a nice place to work.” Souji slid off his shoes and sat his umbrella in the can near the door.

“That’s good.  Oh, Dad won’t be home until late, he called a little while ago.  There’s some dinner in the refrigerator for you.”

“Thanks.  I’ll eat some later; I still have some stuff to unpack.” He headed up to his room and closed the door, tossing his work apron onto the couch.  A small stack of packed boxes awaited him and Souji sat down to finish it with a slight sigh. 

A few hours later, Souji finished unpacking just as his stomach growled. _I should probably go ahead and eat._ The clock read 9:04 pm. He headed downstairs, reheated his dinner and sat at the table with Nanako, while she watched TV.  As a Junes commercial came on, Nanako cheerfully sang along with the jingle and Souji’s mind wandered to Yosuke. He smiled.

_Tomorrow should be an interesting day._


	2. Konishi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souji's first day on the job, first day of school and meeting of Saki Konishi.

Souji yawned as he walked along his way to work, apron in hand. He turned and headed down the main road.

 _This town really is quiet._   Despite being a Saturday morning before the next school term started, Souji didn't see anyone along the main road.  The humidity was high from the heavy rain last night and the late spring sun was beating down on his head.  He squinted at the near-noon sun and shaded his eyes with his hand.  _Maybe I should buy some sunglasses, it's awfully bright._

 

"Heyyy!"

Souji looked over and saw Yosuke, jogging towards him and waving. 

"Good morning." Souji nodded at the brunet as he made his way to his side.

"Yeah!  So, you ready for your first day?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Souji smiled and Yosuke grinned back at him.

"Oh hey, did you watch the news this morning?"

Souji thought for a moment, "A little, Nanako changed it to a game show though.  Why?"

"The police found someone dead this morning.  It was a woman; her body was tangled up in a large antenna, on top of a building."  Yosuke watched Souji to gauge his reaction.

His eyes widened a little at the news, "What, here?"  _In such a small town?_

"Yeah, they haven't said who it was, other than it was an adult woman covered in bruises and marks.  How the hell does someone get nearly impaled on an antenna, anyway?"  Yosuke stretched his arms behind his head.  "That's really weird."

"That _is_ pretty strange.  I guess that's why my Uncle left so early this morning.  He was gone before I woke up."

"Oh yeah, you said your Uncle is a detective, right?"

"Yeah, his name is Dojima."

"So do you think it might have been an accident or could someone have..." Yosuke's eyes darted toward the ground.  A murder in a large city wasn't such a big deal, but in a small town like Yasoinaba, it was a huge disaster.

"I'm sure the police will release more information later."  He noticed the somber expression on Yosuke's face, like he was thinking intently. "Don't worry about it."

Yosuke quickly looked up at Souji, "W-what?"  
  
Souji smiled, "You looked like you were starting to worry about something.  I noticed it yesterday; you get a small furrow in your brow right here..." Souji poked at Yosuke's furrowed brow and the burnette blushed slightly.

 _Is he trying to make me laugh...to feel better?_ "H-hey, cut that out, man!" he laughed as he brushed Souji's hand away while Souji chuckled at him.  After a moment of silence, Yosuke smiled softly, "Thanks for that."

"Don't mention it."

 

The two boys arrived at work a few minutes later, waving at Aya as she talked with Ayane at the counter.

Yosuke stopped and stared at Ayane for a moment, who worked last night.  "Hey, where's Saki-senpai?  I thought she was working this morning."

Aya's cheerful expression suddenly dropped, "She had an emergency and couldn't come in this morning, so I had to call Ayane-kun.  Don't worry, everything is fine though."  Aya smiled again, as to change the subject, "You two have fun today and let me know if you have any questions."

Both boys noticed the quick changes in her demeanor but simply smiled as they headed to the break room to clock in.  "That's strange, Saki never calls in."

"Sometimes things happen." Souji said plainly, as he put on his apron.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." 

Souji could see a bit of worry on his face, so he leaned forward and poked his brow again.  "You're going to get wrinkles if you keep that up." 

Yosuke's face grew hot rather quickly. "Tsk, I'm a guy, like I would worry about that!" 

Souji chuckled at his reactions.  _He's actually pretty cute._

Yosuke swiped his time card and handed Souji his, to do the same.  "Alright, time to go.  Looks like you’re my partner from now on.  I’ll be counting on you." Yosuke grinned as they exited the break room.

_Partner..?  That’s a funny way of calling us coworkers, but I suppose it fits his personality._

 

 

A few hours later...

"And that's all there is to it."  Yosuke washed his hands in the sink while Souji sat in a nearby chair, with an orange kitten in his lap.  As Yosuke turned around and walked toward them, the kitten jumped down and ran over, brushing itself against Yosuke's leg.

"I think he likes you."

Yosuke bent over and picked up the kitten, cupping it in his hands as he braced it against his chest. "Yeah, but you're like, a cat-whisperer.  How are you doing that, dude?" Yosuke sometimes had a hard time with a few of the cats being nervous or jumpy.  It was probably because they were out of their usual environment, but Souji would charm them almost right away.

"I've always been good with animals."

"Chicks dig that." The kitten climbed up Yosuke's chest, onto his shoulder and nuzzled his neck, "Hey, cut it out, hahaha, that tickles."  The kitten climbed around to where Yosuke couldn't reach, its soft fur and whiskers tickled Yosuke's neck; he could hardly stand, he was laughing so hard.

Souji laughed and walked over, removing the kitten from Yosuke's shoulder.  His fingertips brushed Yosuke's neck and he noticed the boy stiffen a little. "Oh, sorry." He patted the kitten on its head as he placed it back in its kennel.

Yosuke rubbed his neck where Souji had brushed against him, the heat from his fingertips lingered. "Nah, it's okay, it just surprised me."

Souji wasn't sure but he thought he'd seen Yosuke's face turn red.  Was he that ticklish?  Souji kept the thought to himself, figuring he should keep that in mind.

Yosuke glanced at his watch. "So, uh, you ready to take a break?  We're about half way done with our shift." 

"Sure." Souji followed the brunet to the break room.

 

 

They both retrieved drinks from the vending machine and sat down at the table.  "I wonder if there's any more news on that body they found." Yosuke grabbed the nearby remote and turned on the TV.  After flipping channels, he stopped on the news.  There was a scruffy man talking to reporters, the text "Yasoinaba PD, Detective Dojima" appeared at the bottom of the screen. "Hey, Dojima?  Isn't that your Uncle?"

Souji watched the TV more intently now, "Yeah, that's him."

"We can only release a little information at this time.  We can't have any hindrance on our investigation." Dojima said bluntly before nodding toward someone off-camera.  "My assistant will give you some further details."  He walked off to talk to a group of police officers in the background as another man came on camera.

"U-uh, hello.  I'm Detective Adachi, assistant to the head Detective in charge of the investigation."  The man was probably close to 30, with a crooked tie.  He looked very awkward and uncomfortable to be on camera; he was clutching at a small handkerchief in one hand.  "The victim's name is Mayumi Yamano, the same one in the news recently for having an affair with political secretary Taro Namatame, the husband of enka singer Misuzu Hiiragi.  At this time, we're not sure how she ended up there, if this is even a murder or some sort of accident.  We don't even have any suspects at this time."

Adachi winced as Dojima yelled at him, "You idiot, don't say something like that!"

The reporter chimed in quickly, "Adachi-san, is it true that her body was contorted, some of her limbs broken; that she was covered in bruises and deep cuts?"  Adachi grew pale and he suddenly turned, throwing up off camera.

"Wow, that guy has a weak stomach." Yosuke snickered but Souji didn't make any response to his statement. 

Adachi wiped his mouth as Dojima stomped over, pushing him off camera.  "Look, that's enough for now.  When we have more news, we'll report it through the proper channels."  Dojima grabbed Adachi by the scruff of his collar and pulled him away as the reporter took back over on camera.

"Wow, your Uncle seems like a hard-ass." Yosuke grimaced a little.

"He is, but it's not too bad.  He means well."

A moment later, a pre-recorded interview came on.  A girl appeared on screen, her face blurred and her voice distorted.  Yosuke noticed the hair immediately and stood up, "S-saki-senpai?"

 

 

"What went through your mind when you saw it?  Could you tell she was dead?  Did you see her face?" The male reporter was almost enthusiastic, asking these questions of a teenage girl.  Surely he knew she would be frightened after seeing a dead body?  
  
"U-umm.." The girl seemed rather uncomfortable being questioned.  They probably cornered her suddenly.

"Don't you think it's scary that she was hung up in the antenna like that?"

"..."  
  
"Ahem, so did you see anyone suspicious around here?"

"No, not really..."

"We heard that you found the body on your way to work this morning.  Do you think it's because of a lover's quarrel due to the love-triangle?"

The girl had apparently had enough, "How am I supposed to know?!"  The interview suddenly ended.

 

  
"Those assholes!  How could they ask Saki-senpai those things!"  Yosuke was angry as he sat back down.  "She seemed like she was scared..."

"Is that the girl who works up front?"

"Yeah, her name is Saki Konishi, she's our senior at school.  I bet this is why she didn't come to work today."

"Do you want to call and check on her?"

Yosuke fiddled with his phone for a moment before putting it back in his pocket, "Nah, I don't want to make it worse.  I have a habit of saying the wrong things at the wrong time.  Maybe I'll check on her when she comes back to work, I'll introduce you too."  
  
"That sounds good."

"Her family owned a liquor store, but it closed down because of Junes, so she works here now.  She seemed kind of hesitant to talk to me at first, but she was the first person to really be nice to me since I moved here."  _But now…_ Yosuke took a quick drink of his soda.  
  
The news went back to its regular airing and the boys lost interest.  Yosuke seemed bothered and Souji felt a little off-put by his somber face.  _Change the subject._  “Hey, do you think I could ask you a favor?”

Yosuke looked up and made a hum, like he was asking what the favor was.  
  
“Since I’ve only been here a few days, I was wondering if you could maybe show me around?  My Uncle hasn’t had any time, so I’m pretty much on my own.  I only know where my house, your house, work and school are.  It would probably help if I knew where the grocery store was located.  I could also use some sunglasses…”

“Oh, yeah sure.  You want to go after work today?”

“That would be great.”

 

 

A few hours later, the boys finished their shifts and left work.  Souji felt good about the job; the coworkers and boss were nice and the job itself was actually rather pleasant.  Not to mention, he already gained a friend in the process.

“I know I shouldn’t really promote them, but Junes has several departments, so they’ll have most anything you need, for pretty cheap too.  You said you needed sunglasses, right?”

“Ah, yeah.  It was really bright out today and it’s only springtime.”

The two boys entered the large Junes store, the theme played on loop over the intercom.  Yosuke showed him around to the different areas while Souji grabbed some random items he needed.

“Helllooooooo!”  A bright young man almost skipped over to Yosuke and Souji as they approached the sunglass stand.  He was shorter than both of them, with bold blue eyes and blond hair, swooped to the side.  “Can I help you gentlemen find anything today?”

“I was looking for sunglasses,” Souji said bluntly.  Yosuke nearly face-palmed, he hated interacting with the Junes employees.

“You should try these on!” The chipper blond snagged a pair of sunglasses off the rack and handed them to Souji, his face beaming.  
  
Souji tried on the pair and looked in the mirror.  Not quite what he needed. “Ah, these are okay but I need some with UV protection; these are just for decoration.  If they don’t have this little UV sticker on it, they aren’t going to protect you from UV rays.”

They boy’s face glazed over as he stared in awe.  “Y-you know so much!”

“Not really.  I just read a lot.” He put back the sunglasses and picked up another pair, studying them over.

“I-is it okay if I call you sensei then?  Please, teach me your wonderful ways!”

Yosuke started laughing, holding his stomach. “What’s with you, are you serious?”

“Of course!” The boy’s face seemed to glow with honesty and Souji chuckled at him.

“I don’t mind.  I’m Souji and this is Yosuke.”

“And I’m Teddie!”  A few girls walked into the area and Teddie eyed them immediately.  “Oooh, lovely ladies!  Pardon me, sensei, the women need my assistance!”  He trotted off to help the girls.

“That guy…he’s a little…”

“Strange?” Yosuke finished for him.  “I think he’s foreign or something.  Oh, hey did you find some you like, partner?” Souji had put on another pair of sunglasses.

“Yeah, I think these are fine.”  The boys headed for the checkout and paid, but Souji ended up buying more than he'd intended.  “Oh, I didn't realize...”

“Hmm, what’s that?” Yosuke asked as he grabbed a few of Souji’s bags.

“I bought more than I thought.  Junes isn’t terribly close to my Uncle’s house.”

“Don’t worry about it.  You walked me home in the rain yesterday, so I’ll help you carry these home.”

“You don’t mind?  I’ll make dinner for you tonight, if you’d like.”

“Really?  That would be great.  My parents won’t be home anyways, so I’d just eat instant ramen or something.” Yosuke answered excitedly but wondered if the cooking would be any good.

“Thanks a lot, Yosuke-san.”

 

 

The boys walked back to the Dojima residence and Souji introduced Yosuke to Nanako before putting away his groceries.  “Want some help?” Yosuke asked as he came up behind Souji, who was cutting a tomato.

“Sure, if you want to wash those off.”  He gestured towards some vegetables on the counter.  The two chatted, with Nanako sitting at the table, cheerfully watching them and joining in their conversation as they prepared dinner.

After dinner, Souji packed away some food into a bento for Dojima and placed it in the refrigerator.  Yosuke placed their dishes in the sink.  “That was really good, partner!  I was a little surprised.”

“Why’s that?”

“Eh, usually people our age don’t cook very well…but that was honestly better than anything my mom ever makes.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“I’ll have to make you owe me more often, just so I can get a meal cooked by you.”  Yosuke grinned boldly, making Souji laugh.  The two boys headed over to the living room and sat down at the table with Nanako, watching the news.  They were replaying the footage the boys had seen earlier at work and Yosuke grimaced a bit.

“Let’s watch something else.”  Nanako changed the channel to a funny game show; Souji let out a small sigh of relief.

Suddenly, the door opens and slams shut.  “Welcome home Dad!”  Nanako waved and smiled to her father.

“Good evening.”

“I thought you would be home late again, so I packed your dinner into a bento in the fridge.” Souji's eyes followed Dojima as he slid off his shoes and approached them, noticing his Uncle glance at Yosuke. “Oh, this is Yosuke-kun, he’s one of my coworkers.  He helped me carry groceries home, so I invited him for dinner.”

“Hello, nice to meet you Dojima-san.  I’m Yosuke Hanamura.” Yosuke waved and bowed his head slightly.

“Ah, good evening.” Dojima plopped down onto the couch with a sigh.  “I’m so worn out.  This investigation is really wearing me down.  Shouldn’t you guys be ready for bed soon?  School starts Monday.”

“Oh, I should be going then.”  Yosuke stood up and bowed his head slightly to Dojima again.  “Thanks for having me and have a good evening.  You too, Nanako-chan.”

“Bye Yosuke-san!” Nanako cheerfully waved as Souji saw Yosuke to the door.

“Thanks again for today,” Souji commented as Yosuke slid on his shoes.

“Sure and thanks for dinner.”

“So, I’ll see you at school Monday?” Souji propped himself on the door frame.

“Probably, we’ll at least see each other at morning assembly, before we get our classes assigned.  See you then, partner!”  Yosuke let himself out and waved goodbye.

 

 

Monday morning came sooner than either expected.  Souji didn’t see Yosuke on the walk to school and made his way to the auditorium for the assembly.  Just before the bell rang, Yosuke came running into the auditorium, his eyes darting around.  Souji looked back at just the right time and waved him over. 

“You were almost late.”

“Yeah, I tried to ride my bike but…uh, I had a mishap.”

The Principal began speaking, cutting them off with his opening ceremony speech.  He dawdled on for a while, nearly putting the school to sleep before announcing that the classes had been assigned.  The boys made their way out into the hall, checking the crowded bulletin board for their classes.

“Hmm..” Yosuke skimmed over the names until he found his own. “Oh hey, class 2-2 for me, what about you?”

“Looks like I’m in the same class as you.”  
  
“Seriously, what kind of luck is that?” Yosuke patted his friend on the shoulder as they headed off to their classroom.

“It seems pretty lucky.”

 

 

Once they arrived in class, Yosuke looked appalled when he saw the blackboard.

“What is it?”

“Aw man, we got Morooka….he’s a major asshole.  I heard horror stories about him when I arrived.”

“Oh well.”  Souji took a seat and Yosuke sat behind him.  “We go to work today at 4, right?”

“Yeah, Aya schedules us for 4 in case we have anything to do after school, but I always go straight there and she lets me start work then, if I want.”

“Hey, it’s Yosuke-kun,” The boys turned to the female voice behind them.  A girl with short brown hair and a green track jacket walked up and waved, followed closely by a girl with long, dark hair wearing a red sweater over her uniform, “looks like we’re all in the same class this year.”

“Hi Chie-san, Yukiko-san.”

“Who is this?” Yukiko piped up, noticing Yosuke had been talking to the gray-haired boy in front of him.

Yosuke gestured his hand toward Souji. “Oh, sorry, this is Souji Seta.  He just moved here and works with me at Kunsaki's.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Chie Satonaka.  This is Yukiko Amagi.”  Yukiko waved as Souji nodded in response to the girls’ greeting.

“Good to meet you, as well.”

“Hey Yosuke-kun, did you notice that news broadcast?  They had an interview with Saki-senpai!” Chie leaned close to his desk as to not bring attention to their conversation.

“Yeah, I know.  We saw it at work a few days ago.”

“The nerve of that man,” Yukiko interjected; she looked a little irritated, “I can’t believe how that reporter was questioning her like that.”

 “I know.  I wanted to check on her, but I figured it would just make things worse.”

“I saw her yesterday and she seemed okay, Yosuke-kun.” Yukiko brushed her hair off her shoulder. “The reporters have been hounding our inn; Miss Yamano had been staying with us.”

“Oh, that’s a bad break there, Yukiko-san.” Yosuke sent her a sympathetic smile.

Just as the bell dinged for class, a loud man entered the room, slamming the door behind him. “Alright you little shits, take your seats.  I’m Morooka, your homeroom teacher this year.”  The students quickly scuttled to their seats, hoping Morooka wouldn’t call them out.  “We have another useless transfer student this year.  Come on, get your lazy ass up here.” Morooka waved toward Souji, who reluctantly walked up to the front of the class.  “Well, introduce yourself.”

“I’m Souji Seta.  I just moved in from the city and I’ll be staying in Inaba for this school year.  Please take care of me.” Souji bowed as Morooka quickly slammed a book onto his podium.

“You’re done, now take your seat.”  Souji quickly made his way back to his seat as Morooka went on a rant about the students being lazy and not knowing what they wanted to do with their lives. 

Yosuke tapped his foot on the back of Souji’s chair to get his attention.  Souji glanced over his shoulder as Yosuke leaned forward. “I told you he was a Capital-A Asshole.”  Souji chuckled quietly at Yosuke, as Morooka snapped his head in their direction.

“Hanamura!”

“Uhh, yes sir?” Yosuke was caught off-guard.

“Are you hitting on the new guy?  Can’t keep it in your pants, can you?”

“W-w-what?  I wasn’t...”

“Shut your trap in my class, corporate prince.”

“…Yes sir.” _Ouch._

The rest of the school day was uneventful and the two boys headed off to work right after school.  As they entered the building, Yosuke noticed Saki walking out of the break room and towards the front desk.

“Saki-senpai!” Yosuke jogged up to her and smiled, “I heard about what happened, how are you holding up?”

The girl brushed her hair over her shoulders, “Oh, I’m okay, but thanks for asking.  Who is that?” She looked over his shoulder to see Souji behind him.

“This is Souji Seta, he’s my partner in crime, taking care of the cats.”

Souji laughed at his description, “Sorry to hear about your troubles.”

“It’s alright.”

“We should get clocked in, partner.”  The boys clocked in and started their shifts.

 

 

Since today was a school day, their shifts were much shorter, only 4 pm to 7 pm, though they clocked in early.  The day seemed to go by fast for them.  “Hmm, this guy is still here?”  Yosuke let the orange kitten nuzzle his hand before refilling his water bowl and closing the kennel door.  “I thought he was supposed to be picked up yesterday."

“I guess his owner’s plans changed.”

“Hmm, yeah.”

“It’s about time to go, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but we need to take out this trash first.” Yosuke poked the bag with his foot as he washed his hands.

“I’ll take it.”  Souji grabbed the bag and headed out the back door to the facility.  As he dropped the bag into the trash can, he thought he noticed a shadow on the other side of the fence.  He stared for a moment but nothing was there.  _Guess it was just a play of light from the setting sun._   He headed back inside and clocked out with Yosuke, just after Saki.  The three walked past the front desk, saying goodbye to Aya on their way out.

“You know, “ Saki stopped just before splitting off from the two boys, “I don’t see Hana-chan hanging out with the other guys much.”

Yosuke waved his hands in an attempt to get her to stop, “T-that’s not necessarily..”

“He doesn’t have too many friends, so I hope you two get along well.  Hana-chan’s a good guy, but he can get nosy sometimes.  You gotta tell him right to his face when he starts to annoy you.”

“Nah, he’s a great guy.” Souji responded quickly, catching Yosuke off-guard with his comment.  
  
Saki giggled, “Ah, hahaha.  I know…I’m just kidding.” She smiled softly. “Well, you two have a good evening.”  She bowed and walked off in the opposite direction of the boys.

For a moment they were quiet, before Yosuke broke the silence. “Hahah, Saki-senpai says I’m annoying, but she’s even nosier than me.  She has a younger brother and treats me pretty much the same way.”

“I see.  You like her, huh?” Souji was a little dry with his words.

“Huh?  No, it’s not like that.”  Yosuke rubbed the back of his neck, “I mean, she’s really sisterly towards me and she was the first person to talk to me kindly after I got here.  That’s all.”  The slight tension seemed to break, “So, has your Uncle found anything new about that body?”  
  
“He said they think it was murder.”

“What, seriously?”

“How else could a woman with a broken leg and arm, so severely cut and beaten, climb up to the top of a building and tangle herself in an antenna?”

“I guess you’re right.  But then that means there’s a murderer on the loose..” Yosuke glanced over his shoulder but Saki was already out of sight.

“We can walk her home tomorrow, if you’d like.”

“It would probably be a good idea.  I mean, she’s still shaken up from the incident and all.”

“So, ‘Hana-chan’?” Souji asked with a smirk.

“Cut it out, she just calls me that.”

“It’s kind of cute.”

“Tsk, don’t be stupid!” he playfully punched Souji in the arm as Souji laughed.  Thunder boomed in the distance. “Oh, I guess it’s going to rain again tonight.”

“Don’t forget your umbrella this time.”

“What, can’t I just share yours?” Yosuke asked teasingly, not expecting a response.

“Sure, if you want.”

Souji noticed Yosuke’s surprised reaction, just as they got to Yosuke’s house “See you tomorrow, Hana-chan.”

“Aw, you’re not going to start calling me that, are you?”

“Maybe.” Souji had such a straight face, Yosuke wondered if he was joking or not.

Yosuke let out a sigh, “See you tomorrow.”

 

 

After another uneventful day at school, the two boys headed to work.  Ayane was watching TV in the break room with Aya, who looked distraught.

“What’s with the long faces, you two?” Yosuke put on his apron as Souji put his bag into his locker.

Ayane turned to him shyly, “Saki-senpai didn’t come to school or work today.”

“Yosuke-kun...” Aya said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I know you were friends with Saki…”

“...What is it?”

Souji looked up at the TV and realized what they were watching, “Yosuke…” he stepped towards Yosuke quickly, in an effort to stop him from seeing, but it was too late.

Slowly, Yosuke broke the girls' gazes and looked up at the television.  It was slightly blurry, obviously a quick video from someone's phone camera.  A mangled female body suspended atop a telephone pole; Saki Konishi's body.  His eyes slowly widened and his face grew sickly pale.  “W-what…that’s………no way.”   Yosuke’s mouth stayed slack as he stared at the screen; his tongue was dry and he could feel something welling up in the back of his throat.  A hand on his shoulder broke him out of his trance, as Souji stepped beside him.

Ayane’s eyes began to fill with tears and Aya patted Yosuke on the shoulder, “They just found her body about an hour ago.  I can handle things here by myself until Subaru-san arrives; I’ve already called him in.  You should all head home for the evening; I know you were her classmates.  I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

After Yosuke and Ayane composed themselves, Souji and Yosuke walked Ayane home before heading home themselves.  The walk was quiet and awkward.  Souji wanted to say something to comfort the brunet, but he couldn’t think of anything to say.  He’d just met Saki himself, so he couldn’t say things like, ‘She wouldn’t want you to be sad.’ or ‘she was a really bright person.’  Souji simply gave Yosuke company on the walk.

Suddenly, Yosuke fell a few steps behind Souji.  He turned to notice the terrible expression on Yosuke’s face.  “Yosuke-san?”

“It’s my fault.”

“What?” _How could this possibly..?_

Yosuke lowered his head as he angrily spouted out, “I knew she was upset about what happened.  I should have walked her home last night, and then maybe she wouldn’t be dead.” A few tears fell to the ground as his shoulders slightly convulsed.

Souji’s eyes widened as he saw the tears falling, splattering on the pavement.  He moved forward and pulled Yosuke toward him, into a hug.  Yosuke’s face lit up and the tears stopped immediately as he gasped.

“There’s no way this is your fault.  You can’t blame yourself for this.”  He squeezed the brunet’s shoulder slightly, “You couldn’t have known something was going to happen.  I feel bad about it too, but blaming yourself won’t bring her back.  I know I’d just met her but…I think she’d want you to be strong through this.”

 _H-He’s so warm…_ The slight scent of cologne and the warmth from Souji’s chest relaxed him instantaneously.  Yosuke didn’t know what to say. This guy, someone he’d met less than a week ago, had already become someone he’d consider his friend and was comforting him in such a way. He knew all the right things to say to calm him down.

“But this…this has to be connected to the other murder.  Saki found the body.” Yosuke wiped his face on his sleeve.

“I’m sure my Uncle has already made that connection.  They’ll figure something out.”

Souji felt Yosuke’s shoulders shaking slightly again.

“I know I said you should be strong, but crying when you’re hurt isn’t something to be ashamed of.”  As soon as the words left his lips, Yosuke gripped onto his jacket and cried into Souji’s shoulder.  So to not patronize him, Souji kept quiet and rubbed his back. 

After a few minutes, Yosuke calmed down again and Souji released him, “T-thanks for that, partner.” He rubbed his sleeve across his eyes and glanced up at Souji.

Souji grabbed the wrist of Yosuke’s jacket sleeve and pulled him forward. “Come on, we should get you home.”  They said nothing the rest of the way to Yosuke’s house.

The entire trek, Souji didn’t let go of Yosuke’s sleeve.


	3. A Trip to Okina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In light of Saki's death, Souji takes a grieving Yosuke to Okina in order to cheer him up.

In light of Saki’s death, the school brought in guidance counselors from the city, to assist with grieving students.  It wasn’t surprising, this was such a small town; a teenage girl had been brutally murdered and hung up on display for everyone to see.  Despite that, things had been calm since her death.  Souji felt a bit somber as he rested his chin in his palm, staring at the sakura trees outside the class window. 

“Hanamura?  …Hanamura?  Is that lazy sack out again?  See, this is why…” Morooka went off on a tangent again.  Souji rolled his eyes and zoned him out.

Yosuke hadn’t been to school since Tuesday…it was now Saturday.  He not only missed school, but work as well.  Souji had given him his cell phone number, in case he needed anything.  The reflection in the window of an empty desk behind him caused Souji to let out a quiet sigh.  He stealthily hid his phone under his desk as he flipped it open and checked over the texts he and Yosuke had shared since Saki’s death.  
  
They were a little morose; to be expected.  Though, since yesterday morning, Yosuke seemed to respond with more vigor.  His chats were a little more “normal”, so to speak; he sent replies faster, used more than four words in one text and even began adding little emoticons.  Souji took it as Yosuke getting back to normal and decided to send him a text.

 

**_Souji Seta_ ** _  
Morooka has been on a tangent for around 5 minutes now, all because you’ve missed school.  I think I might die._

 “-eta?”

Souji clicked Send.

“SETA?”

_Shit._   Souji stood up quickly and spouted out, “Could you repeat the question, please?”  A few people giggled, and Chie placed her face in her palm to stifle a laugh. 

“I’m taking roll, you moron.  I take it you’re here, then?”

“Oh, uh…” Souji felt a little flushed; he’d been completely oblivious to the roll call, “Yes, I’m here.”

“Clearly.  Now sit down, you dingbat.”

The chatter and giggling quieted down as Morooka continued to call roll.  As Souji sat down, he felt a light vibration in his pocket.  He quickly removed his phone and flipped it open.  It was a text from Yosuke.

 

**_Yosuke Hanamura_ **   
_Sorry about that, partner.  I'll have to make it up to you._

Souji smiled.  It was the first time he’d called him partner since he’d been out of school.  Souji spent most of the day sending texts back and forth with Yosuke, neglecting his first class entirely and only paying the minimum amount of attention in the rest to make certain he didn’t get in trouble.  His grades wouldn’t suffer from simply one day of neglect.  Besides, ensuring that Yosuke got back to normal was more important.

 

**_Souji Seta_ ** _  
Maybe you can make dinner for me this time._

**_Yosuke Hanamura_ ** _  
Uhh, I don’t think you want that dude.  About all I can make are instant noodles and soup in the microwave, haha._

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _Is that all you've been eating? Geez, that's terrible for you._

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _Well, I can’t have you cook for me every day =p_

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _If you'd like, I can start bringing more food in my bento so we can share._

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _What, really??_

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _Sure, but I’ll be calling in the payment you owe now._

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _…I'm kind of afraid to ask._

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _I’ll split my bento with you every day at school and, as payment, you have to come back to school and work starting Monday._

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _Whoa, that's it?_

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _You also have to come hang out with me today, no complaints._

It was taking longer for him to respond this time and Souji wondered if he'd been too pushy.  Yosuke bit his thumbnail.  He was still listless from Saki's death but he knew he couldn't stay holed up in his room forever.  Hanging out with Souji could be just what he needed to get out of this rut.

Souji was in the middle of changing classes when his phone began to vibrate.

 

 

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _Sure, where are we going?_

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _Okina._

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _What, really?_

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _It only takes a couple of hours by train and today is Saturday, so pretty much everywhere is open late.  We're both off work over the weekend, too._

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _My parents would be pretty pissed if i came home really late, though._

 

Upon reading the text, Souji immediately flipped open his phone and called Dojima.  The line picked up and there was a bit of racket in the background before a voice answered, “Dojima.”

“Dojima-san, it’s Souji.” 

The man's voice was gruff and lethargic, it sounded like he hadn’t slept too well, "Is everything okay?"

“Yeah, everything's fine. Sorry to call while you're at work but I wanted to ask something.”

“Ah that's alright, but what is it?”

“My friend Yosuke...he’s been pretty upset about Saki and he’s been missing school and work.  I wanted to take him to the city after school today, but we would be home late and…”

“He can stay over; Nanako is staying at a friend’s house anyway.”  Dojima felt a little bad for the kid, even though he wasn’t terribly fond of his family.  Dojima had the unfortunate experience of seeing Saki’s body up close…she’d been tortured and raped, something not released to the press.  It’s no wonder her friends would be depressed.

“…thanks a lot, uncle.”

“Sure.  Stay safe in the city and don't get into any trouble.”  Dojima hung up and Souji quickly went back to texting Yosuke.

 

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _Tell your parents you’re going to stay the night at my place_

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _Is that okay?  What about Nanako-chan?_

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _I just asked Dojima-san and he's fine with it.  Nanako is going to a friend’s house._

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _Alright, I’ll leave a note for my parents.  I doubt they'll be home until at least 7 anyways._

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _Should I come get you?_

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _Nah, I’ll head over to your place so you can change.  We can go drop off Nanako-chan together and then head to the station._

**_Souji Seta  
_ ** _Sounds good.  Be at my place around 3:30?_

**_Yosuke Hanamura  
_ ** _You got it partner._

Souji closed his phone, sliding it down into his pocket as he walked to his next class.  He had only been to Okina once, fairly recently, and had discovered a few shops and places to visit. 

_Anything to get his mind off Saki.  I wonder if we should see a movie, too?_

Souji smiled to himself as he stepped into the next class when Yukiko gave him a small wave, as she saw him enter.  He sat down in the desk next to her, “How are classes going today?”  
  
“Pretty well,“ Yukiko stopped suddenly, staring at Souji’s face for a moment before sitting her chin in her palm, “…you know, you look really happy today.”  
  
“Do I?”  He thought to himself for a moment before nodding.  “I guess I am.” His words were cheerful; it was obvious to the raven-haired girl that Souji was actually quite happy.  
  
Yukiko giggled softly, “Are you going on a date?”  
  
“Oh, no.  I’m taking Yosuke-san to Okina after school.”

“Oh…Yosuke-kun has been really depressed since Saki died, huh?  I’m sure he’ll perk right up if he’s hanging out with you.”  
  
“I hope so,” Souji pulled a book from his bag just as the bell rang, the teacher having not yet arrived, “otherwise, I don’t know what else I can do for him.”

“Souji-san…” Yukiko almost frowned, “I know I haven’t known you very long, but from the time I saw you two together, Yosuke-kun seemed to really enjoy being around you.  He doesn’t have many friends here, so just being his friend in his time of need should really be helpful.”  
  
His expression softened and he gave her a gentle smile, “Thank you, Yukiko-san.”  She blushed a little; it was her first time seeing Souji smile in such an endearing manner.  She simply nodded in response as the teacher entered the room.

 

 

Yosuke dropped his phone onto his chest and stared at the ceiling above his bed.  ‘Partner’...when did he start calling Souji that?    
  
_I've only known this guy for a week....I'm probably coming off too strong, clinging to the first person I've had a real connection with since I got here. I should probably chill or he might get uncomfortable._

Yosuke darted up from his bed and moved to the closet, in a noticeably better mood.  He began to dig through his clothes, finding something appropriate to wear.  He decided to go with his favorite white shirt with a red v-neck, a pair of red pants and comfortable shoes.  He tossed the pants and shirt over the back of his chair, then yanked a thin jacket out of the closet as well.

_Just in case it gets chilly later.  I wonder if he has some place in particular he wants to visit?_

He turned on his game system and sat in the floor; he still had a few hours before Souji would be done with school.  Yosuke let a small smile creep across his face.

_Knock, knock, knock_

Souji had just put on his dark gray pants and was pulling a short-sleeved black shirt over his head as someone knocked at the door.  He darted down the stairs and opened the door with a smile as he finished adjusting his shirt, “Hey, Yosuke-san.”  
  
Yosuke teetered on his heels, “Yo, how was school today?”  Souji moved aside so he could enter the house.  
  
“It was school, but it was better because I could actually talk to you today.” Souji shot a gentle smile as Yosuke slid out of his shoes, having a bit of a dumbfound expression on his face.  “Hey, Nanako-chan, are you almost ready?”

“Almost!” Nanako called from the other room.  “I can’t find my pink hair clips…” Nanako came out of the room, carrying a small bag, “Yosuke-san!” She quickly ran over and gave him a hug.  
  
“Hey, Nanako-chan.  So where are you going today?”  He hugged her and patted her on the head.  
  
“I’m going to visit Mai-chan.  But, um…” the girl began to fidget with her fingers.  
  
Yosuke looked down at her, quizzically, “What is it?”  
  
“I know I shouldn’t talk about it…but I’m really sorry about the girl from your school.”  She quickly hugged Yosuke again.  
  
He was a little surprised at first, but hugged her back, “Thank you very much, Nanako-chan,” he gave her a warm smile as he pulled away, then glanced at Souji when he said, “I’m sorry if I worried you, but I’ll be okay.”  He smiled at Nanako again, as if apologizing to both of them for making them worry.   
  
Souji smiled, it was a cute gesture from Yosuke.  Suddenly, Nanako piped up and ran over to the table. “Here they are!” she picked up two pink hair clips from the table and stuffed them into her bag, “I’m all ready now.” She giggled and smiled as she approached the door to put on her shoes.

“Alright, let’s get going.” Souji said as he and Yosuke slid on their shoes, leaving the Dojima residence.  After a short walk, they arrived at Mai’s house and waved back to Nanako and Mai, who were waving from the door with Mai’s mother.  The two boys made their way to the station, sitting on the bench when they arrived.   
  
“Looks like we’re a little early.”  Souji glanced at his watch; it was 3:45, the train wouldn’t arrive for another ten minutes.   
  
“So, are we going somewhere in particular?” Yosuke asked as he played with his MP3 player, headphones hanging on his neck.  
  
“I went to Okina a few months ago, so there are a few places I’d like to visit.  There’s an arcade, some nice shops and a bunch of great places to eat.”

“It sounds fun.” Yosuke smiled and then silence fell between the two.  Yosuke felt nervous, he felt it would be rude to put on his headphones, but sitting quietly like this was making him uncomfortable.  _I should probably apologize for this week…_ “U-um, Souji-kun?” Yosuke began to fidget with the cord to his headphones.

“Hmm?”

“I’m…I’m really sorry.”

Souji turned to him with an arched brow, “For what?”

“For how I’ve been acting this week.  I know I’ve been upset, but I hadn’t spoken to you much, even when you tried to make me feel better.  So, I’m sorry.”

Souji turned his head back forward and smiled as he closed his eyes, “There’s no need for you to apologize.  You lost someone important to you, it’s understandable.”

“Yeah, but you’re important to me too!” Yosuke blurted it out without thinking.  _Oh god, he’s going to think I’m crazy.  Why the hell did I say that?_   Souji had a bewildered expression as Yosuke’s face turned red.

And, just like when he comforted Yosuke after Saki’s death, Souji made him feel at ease with a simple action.  He patted Yosuke on the shoulder and gave him the most gentle, genuine smile Yosuke had ever seen.  He stared at Souji’s expression, feeling his face grow even warmer than it had been moments ago, but he was brought back to reality when the train announcement came over the intercom.

_“…3:55 pm train to Okina is arriving; please stay behind the yellow lines and…”_

Souji stood up, fishing two tickets from his pocket as Yosuke shook his head and stood up as well.  “You didn’t have to do that, let me pay you back.”

“No, I asked you to come with me today, so it’s on me.” Souji smiled as he approached the now-still train.

Souji inserted their tickets into the machine and the two took their seats.  After the train began moving, Yosuke took off his headphones and placed them on his and Souji’s shoulders.  Souji curiously looked over as Yosuke scrolled through his MP3 player.  He selected a playlist, turning the volume up so they could both hear and then slid the MP3 player back into his pocket.

“This is a playlist I always listen to when I travel by train; I thought you might like it.”  The two smiled at each other briefly as they listened to the relaxing music play, washing over the repeated clacks of the train.

 

 

A few hours later, the two arrived in Okina.  They’d made a little small-talk along the way and Yosuke seemed to have loosened up a bit, which made Souji already feel better about this little excursion.

“So, where to, partner?” Yosuke smiled at Souji as he slid his hands into his jacket pockets, rocking back on his heels.

“Want to do some shopping?”

“Sure.”

The two made their way into the heart of downtown Okina, where several one-off boutiques resided.  After poking around in a few that caught their interest, Souji pointed out a store with lots of figurines and they went inside.  Yosuke laughed about a few of the female figures with breasts larger than their heads, while Souji bought a plastic robot model.

“What’s that?” Yosuke poked Souji’s bag open, to read the name on the side of the box.

“It’s a model kit.  I build them in my spare time, occasionally.”

“Oh yeah?  It’s pretty cool looking!  Is it difficult?”

“Some of them can be, but I don’t buy really advanced ones because I only started building them last year.”  Souji noticed Yosuke still peeking around the store, “Do you want to try building one?”

“Huh, me?  I’m probably too clumsy for that.” Yosuke waved his hands about with a stupid grin on his face.

Souji walked over to a shelf with some models, shifting some around until he grabbed one in particular. “This one should be fine for a first-time builder.  It’s really simple and the most basic type of kit.  You can build it with me, so I can help you.”

Yosuke took the kit from Souji and looked over the box.  It didn’t seem too complicated.  “Sure, it’s pretty cheap too.”  He took it to the counter and began digging for his wallet, “Oh, don’t I need paint and other stuff?”

“You can just use mine.”

“Awesome, thanks partner.  I’ll buy my own supplies if I decide to build another one.”  He paid the cashier, took his bag and the two left the store. 

They quietly walked along, the sky having just turned a light shade of orange.  Souji glanced at Yosuke, who seemed to be in a good mood.

Yosuke turned to him, “Something wrong?”

“No.  I was just wondering if you were having a good time.”

“Of course I am.  I’ve never been to Okina before, so I’m glad my first time was with you...” Yosuke trailed off, “…did I just say ‘my first time’?  That sounded…really dirty didn’t it?”

Souji slowly went into a laugh, holding his stomach and slowing his walk.  “You don’t think much before you speak, do you?” Souji barely managed it out before calming himself down.

Yosuke playfully punched him in the arm and stuck his nose up in the air, “Yeah, yeah.”  A chain music store suddenly came into view and Yosuke latched onto Souji’s arm and dragged him along. “Oh hey, I haven’t seen one of these since I left the city!”

The two teens entered Empire Records and Yosuke immediately darted towards a certain section of the store.  Souji watched as Yosuke picked up a few different CDs and checked the backs. “You buy CDs?  I thought you mostly listened to them on your MP3 player.”

“Oh, I do, but I buy the albums and then rip the music from them, onto my computer.  I’ve been looking for this CD for a while now, nowhere in Inaba has it and I thought I was going to have to order it.”  Yosuke clung to the CD as they continued to peruse the store before paying and leaving.

 

 

The sun had begun to set.   

Two girls walked ahead of them, glancing back and giggling.  They were cute enough, but Yosuke didn’t feel like flirting with cute girls at the moment, surprisingly.  Before he could push Souji into some random store to avoid the girls, they had already turned around and one of them started talking, “So, you guys are pretty cute and it’s getting dark out…would you mind if we hung out with you for a while?”  The girl began to latch onto Yosuke’s arm, as the other girl looked a little shyer but smiled at Souji.  “Come on, we can go see a movie or something, be alone…” The girl rubbed his arm onto her chest while she tried to woo him.  Souji twitched at the girl’s closeness to Yosuke and he grew quiet; if Yosuke wanted to hang out with girls in order to feel better, then he’d go along with it.

Yosuke forgot how forward girls from the city could be, compared to Inaba.  He forced a smile and tried to politely decline, “Um, sorry but we’re actually headed somewhere...” He tried to free his arm but the girl gripped tighter and began to pout. 

“Awe, but can’t we come with you two?  Pretty please..?” She had a killer smile but Yosuke wasn’t in the mood to deal with the girls right now.  He winced a little and tried to pull away again. “Where are you two headed?  We’d love to tag along…”

Souji noticed the expression on Yosuke’s face, suddenly locking his arm with Yosuke’s and pressing their shoulders together, “Sorry, but he’s busy.”

“What do you mean?” The girl seemed a little irritated, her brows furrowing.

“I mean, this guy is _with me_.” Souji pulled Yosuke closer, who began to blush intensely, as the girl let go of his arm with bewildered expression on her face. Yosuke caught the brief scent of Souji’s cologne and his heart began to race.

“I-I-I, uh…” the girl stuttered hard before grabbed her friend by the arm, “let’s go.” They walked quickly past the two boys, turning the nearest corner and disappearing from view.

Souji released Yosuke and unlocked their arms, “Sorry about that, she seemed pretty determined and you didn’t look like you were into it.”

“N-no, thanks for that, partner.  You’re right, I’m just happy to be hanging out with you.” Yosuke nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

Souji blushed, just for a split second, before his face returned to normal and he smiled.  Yosuke somehow, caught the expression before it faded away.

_He just…he just turned red when I said that.  I’ve never seen him blush before…and what the hell, why didn’t I push him off?  Those were cute girls…_   Yosuke stared at his friend for a moment while he contemplated what it meant.  _I just want to be with him right now.  ...That’s got to be one of the gayest things I’ve thought to myself in a while.  But…being around this guy, my heart races.  It doesn’t feel disgusting when he’s close to me, unlike…_

Yosuke smiled nervously and quickly changed the subject, “Hey I’m starving, you want to grab a bite to eat?”

“That sounds great.  Anything in particular you want?”

“Nah, you pick something.”

“Alright then, there should be a ramen shop somewhere nearby.” 

After looking around, they managed to find the place Souji had mentioned and sat down to eat.  It was a really traditional ramen shop, complete with stools and an awning.  After a nice meal, the two wandered around Okina a bit more.  They played around in an arcade for a little while, Souji later found a stray cat that he decided to feed, despite it being rather portly and Yosuke bought some cute hair clips for Nanako.  They walked along happily, looking in a few shops and laughing.  Souji stared at Yosuke while he laughed at a movie trailer he’d seen playing on a TV in the last store they visited.  In that moment, Souji knew this was the entire reason he’d asked Yosuke to come to Okina with him.  Seeing him laugh and smile so carefree; this was the Yosuke he’d met.  The two enjoyed their time together as they headed back to the station. 

 

 

“Oh man, I’m beat.”  Yosuke plopped down onto a bench, throwing his arms over the back.  They still had a little while before the train to Inaba arrived, so Souji sat down beside Yosuke, resting his bags on the ground.

“So, you had a good time?”

“You need to ask again?” Yosuke laughed at Souji’s questioning, “Yeah, it was a great time.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”  A train rushed by and the wind ruffled Souji’s hair.  This guy was perfect.  He was attractive, smart, good with animals, a smooth-talker…Yosuke found himself staring absentmindedly at his partner.  Souji looked over at him and smiled softly.

Yosuke smiled back, “Thanks for today.  I really mean it.  I needed this a lot and I’m glad you got me out of my house for a while.”  Yosuke waited a moment and cleared his throat, “Hey, partner?”

Souji noticed Yosuke’s posture, facing him with a serious expression.  He turned and gave Yosuke his full attention, “What is it?”

“I know this is out of left field but, I need to tell you something.  It’s really ugly, but it’s the way I’ve felt and I wanted to tell you about it.”  Souji softened his expression as Yosuke looked away from him, “I...I think I wanted Saki-senpai to be in danger, just a little.  I wanted to protect her and be a hero but I never wanted her to get hurt.”  Yosuke hung his head low, “That’s pathetic, isn’t it?  I wanted someone else to be in danger just so I could be cool.”

“It’s not.” Yosuke’s head shot up at Souji’s words, “It’s not pathetic.  You came from a lively city to a small, quiet town.  I can understand wanting to protect someone you were close to.  You didn’t mean her any harm and your wishing that didn’t cause anything to happen, so don’t blame yourself, alright?”

Yosuke sat still and took in his words before giving him a half-smile. “And…I wanted to apologize to you again.  Not like earlier.  I’m sorry that I’m hanging around you so much and for being so annoying.  I know we just met, and I call you partner a lot, so it’s a little weird.  I’m clinging to you and your kindness, but I think it’s because I’ve lost someone who was nice to me and now I’m afraid of being alone again.”  Yosuke felt like he was on the verge of tears, but suddenly he felt warmth on his back; Souji had placed his arm across Yosuke’s shoulder and rubbed his back to comfort him.

“Yosuke-san, I’m not going anywhere.” Yosuke gritted his teeth a little and gripped his pant leg, “Sure, we just met, but I’d tell you if you were making me uncomfortable, and you’re not.  I’m sorry about Saki and, while I’m not trying to take her place in your heart, you can lean on me any time.  I promise, you can rely on me.  Any time you feel sad, or angry, even times you feel happy or just want someone to talk to…I’ll be here for you.  And you're not annoy-”  He was cut off as Yosuke quickly latched onto Souji and hugged him, nuzzling into his shoulder.  Souji suddenly felt his face grown warm at Yosuke’s action.

“Thanks, partner.  You’re really awesome, you know that?”  Yosuke pulled back and Souji smiled, patting him on the head and ruffling his hair, “I swear, I don’t cry all the time.  It’s just whenever I’m around you lately…”

“Sure, Hana-chan.”  Even though Saki-senpai called Yosuke that and he would get angry if anyone else did it, he didn’t care if Souji did.  In fact, he actually sort of liked it.  They laughed together at Souji’s response when the train arrived.

After settling in the train, Yosuke placed his headphones between them and turned on his music again.  Quite quickly, Yosuke felt tried; having not been outside in several days, the trip to Okina wore him out.  There was a light scent coming from Souji which comforted him and, in combination with the relaxing music from his headphones, lulled him to sleep.

Souji felt Yosuke slump over, pressed against his arm, with Yosuke's head on his shoulder.  Souji let out a shaky breath as he felt his heart beginning to race.  He swallowed and composed himself before glancing around the train car.  It was nearly Midnight and there was no one else in the car with them.  Souji smiled and sighed pleasantly before situating himself; he linked Yosuke's arm with his, in case Yosuke slid in his sleep, and rested his head atop Yosuke's.  He could just barely smell the brunet's shampoo; a light, refreshing scent that wasn't feminine nor too masculine, with maybe a hint of coconut.  He thought it suited Yosuke perfectly.  The way Yosuke let down his guard, falling asleep on Souji like that, made Souji smile.  Suddenly, having moved to a tiny town wasn't so bad.  Listening to Yosuke's rhythmic breathing, Souji closed his eyes.  Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep as well.

 

 

A few hours later, the train announced their arrival back in Inaba.  Souji poked Yosuke, who still seemed half-asleep, helping him grab his bags and exit the train.  Luckily, the Dojima residence wasn’t far from the station and the two made it there without a hitch, though Souji had braced Yosuke with his arm over his shoulder the entire way.  They quietly made their way inside the house, taking off their shoes and heading up to Souji’s room.  He laid Yosuke on his couch, who immediately rolled onto his side and drifted off to sleep again.  Souji grabbed the spare futon from the closet and rolled it out on the floor, next to his.  He lifted Yosuke from the couch and laid him on the futon.  He went to the bathroom and changed into his pajamas, then curled up in his own futon, next to Yosuke. 

He wondered how he could sleep so heavily, but realized he hadn’t been out of the house in nearly a week.  Souji smiled at the sleeping brunet and reached over, brushing a piece of hair from his face.  His hand lingered over his cheek for a moment before he pulled it back and nuzzled his pillow, quickly falling asleep.


	4. Seeds of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke takes in the kitten from his work after it is abandoned. He gradually grows more attached to Souji and becomes jealous of Ai's flirting. Later, Souji is given a small glimpse of a traumatic event from Yosuke's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late addition. I'm working on some stuff for a convention, so updates may be sparse until Mid-Late June. I'll write when I can and it doesn't feel forced =)

A light but savory smell tickled at Yosuke’s nose.  He let out a small grumble and rolled onto his side, burying his face into the pillow and pulling the futon up to his shoulder.  He tried to ignore the smell by going back to sleep but his stomach growled loudly, forcing him awake.  He rolled onto his back again, flinging the futon off of his chest. 

He rubbed his hazy eyes as he glanced at his surroundings; a plain ceiling with a square, brown wooden light fixture, dark colored drapes and a black sofa.  This was Souji's room. 

Without looking over, Yosuke pawed at the area next to his futon.  Feeling nothing, he glanced at the empty spot; only the blue, checkered rug under his palm.  _Souji must be awake already.  Leave it to that guy to wake up early, even on the weekend._

Yosuke sat up and yawned before looking at the clock.  It was nearly noon.

 

_How...did I get here?  I don't even remember the train ride._

 

Vague, blurry memories of being woken up on the train, as well as walking into the Dojima residence were all Yosuke's tired mind could conjure.  He leaned back into a stretch, taking a deep breath; he immediately caught the wonderful scent of food again.  Stumbling as he gained his composure, Yosuke used the bathroom and somehow managed his way downstairs without tripping over his own two feet.

As he exited the stairwell, he saw Souji at the kitchen counter.  "Hey partner."  Yosuke scratched at his side, his shirt lifting a little to reveal a sliver of his hips.

Souji spun around at the greeting, his eyes quickly noticing the exposed skin, but he simply shot a smile, "Good morning.  Did you sleep okay?"

Yosuke sat at the table, resting his head on his folded arms, "Mmhmm.  So, uhh, I guess you dragged me back last night?  I don't remember the walk back or the train ride, either."

"Yeah, you passed out on the train.  I fell asleep too, though; your train playlist was soothing."  Souji placed the food he'd been preparing onto a few plates.  "I hope you're hungry."

"Are you kidding?  Would I ever turn down your home-cooked food?" 

Yosuke had a big grin on his face as Souji brought the plated food to the table.  "It’s tamagoyaki, mackerel and rice with natto," Souji said, as he took a seat.

"Wow, this looks great!" Yosuke grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the table, "I haven't had natto since I moved from the city."  Souji began to eat as Yosuke moved to pick up a piece of fish, but stopped. 

 

The city. 

 

Yosuke recalled their trip to Okina last night, with Souji paying his way and nearly carrying him back after he'd fallen asleep; it was all done in order to cheer Yosuke up.

"Hey."

Souji stopped from digging into his rice and looked up.

"Thank you, again.  Yesterday was really nice and I had a great time."

Souji smiled, "You're welcome.  I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Yeah, but...no one has ever really gone out of their way to do something like that for me before.  So...it means a lot."

"You feel better now, don't you?"

"...Yeah, I do, actually."

"Then it was worth it." Souji continued eating with a serene look and Yosuke stared for a moment.  That was quickly becoming one of his favorite expressions.

After the two ate, Yosuke cleaned up while Souji got study materials out for them.  Yosuke had missed out on several days of school and Souji wanted to help him catch up; he begrudgingly accepted Souji's assistance. 

Souji opened a small case and pulled out a pair of black-rimmed glasses, wiping the lenses with a cloth before putting them on.

“What’s this now?  You wear glasses?”

“I do sometimes for reading.  And I can already tell, my eyes are going to be strained today.”

“Huh, why’s that?”

“Because your handwriting is terrible.”

“Shut it!” Yosuke threw a pillow at Souji, who laughed it off.  The two buckled down and studied for several hours.

 

 

"I think that's enough for today."  Souji stretched his arms above his head, while Yosuke proceeded to plant his face onto the table.  "You hardly complained at all."  Souji smiled as he ruffled Yosuke's hair.

"All that math...I think I'm going to be seeing equations in my sleep, ugh." Souji softly chuckled as he removed his glasses and then began putting his study materials away.  "Hmm, it's already 7; I should probably head home soon.  I think there's still laundry to do."  Yosuke's stomach growled loudly enough for both to hear.

"Let's go grab something to eat; I want to take you one last place."

Yosuke nodded.  The two got ready as Yosuke gathered up the few things he'd brought and they then headed out.  They stopped and ate at Aiya's; leaving the restaurant, Yosuke piped up, "So, where to?"

"This way."  Souji lead Yosuke through the streets of Inaba, completely unaware of where he was being taken.  After some time, they arrived at a small house with a make-shift shrine outside.  Upon walking up to it, Yosuke noticed the person in the picture and stopped stiff.  This was Saki Konishi's house. 

Souji, almost expecting him to stop, gently grabbed Yosuke's hand and pulled the brunet until he was standing beside him.  Yosuke looked a little uncomfortable but after seeing Souji's soft smile, he relaxed again.  The picture of Saki was surrounded by a flower-covered wreath, candles and a few hand-written notes, obviously from her friends.  After the two gave Saki a prayer, Yosuke lightly tugged on the edge of Souji's shirt.

"Thanks for that."  He rubbed the back of his neck, "Ugh, I keep thanking you, I must sound like a broken record."

"I don't mind."

"Then...Souji?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

 

 

The next day at school...

“You jerk!”  Chie kicked Yosuke in the knee after he’d handed her a DVD.  “I can’t believe you broke it, you totally have to replace this!”

“Ow, ow!”  Yosuke hopped on one leg and rubbed his knee, “I didn’t mean to Chie, I’ll get you another one when I get paid!”

“You owe me beef steak, too.”

“Whaaat, seriously?  I said I was sorry, it was an accident!”  Chie stopped her assault as she waited for his response.  Yosuke wasn’t expecting her to stop so abruptly and he felt rushed to spit something out, “There was, uh, this cute chick and her skirt was really short so I got distracted and tripped down a hill.”

“…That’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard, even from you.”  She proceeded to kick him in the knee again, with no remorse.

“Saying you got distracted by a cute girl’s short skirt isn’t helping matters.” Yukiko looked a little disappointed by his response.

“Eh, heh heh…” Yosuke made no attempt to make up another excuse, scratching his head.  “It really was an accident Chie; I promise I’ll replace it.”  There was sincerity in his voice and Chie dropped her guard.  It was obvious to his three friends that he was hiding something, but they decided not to pry.

“Alright, but you still owe me beef steak too!”

“Okay, okay.”

The bell chimed for homeroom to be released and Souji stood up, patting Yosuke on the shoulder in response to his pummeling by Chie.  Yosuke winced in pain at the touch and Souji pulled his hand back immediately.  Yosuke saw the look on his face and shied away, “Oh, sorry.  Caught me off-guard there.” He gave a nervous smile in response and quickly left the classroom ahead of the others.

“Did you see that…?” Yukiko asked as she and Chie glanced at Souji.

“I’ll talk to him later, don’t worry.”  The girls nodded and left the room.

 

 

Chie walked with Souji, as they passed in front of the bulletin board.  “Oh yeah, clubs are accepting new members right now.  Are you going to join one, Souji-kun?”

Souji glanced at the board postings; soccer, drama and band…nothing in particular seemed to catch his interest.  “I took kendo at my last school, do they have that here?”

“I don’t think so...” Chie mumbled as she looked over the postings for a Kendo club.

“Hey, it’s Chie.”

Two males approached them; one was tall and muscular with short, cropped light hair and a bandage on his face, while the other was shorter, had darker hair and more delicate features.  Souji thought he noticed the shorter male blush for just a second when Chie turned to them and grinned.

“Daisuke, Kou.  How’s it goin?”

“Yo,” the taller boy said with a wave.

“We came to post for the basketball team.  We’re accepting members now.”  Kou tacked a blue sheet to the bulletin board and then took notice of Souji. “Hey now, you’re tall and you’ve got a lean build.  You’d be great for the basketball team!” Kou’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Uh, well, I’ve got a part time job already and I have to take care of my cousin after school most days, so I don’t think I’ve got time, sorry.”

“Then come cheer us on sometime, alright?  Maybe we can use you as a team alternate.”

“That sounds good.  I’m Souji Seta.”  Souji reached out and shook Kou’s hand.

“I’m Kou Ichijio and this lug is Daisuke Nagase, he’s the captain of the soccer team.”

Daisuke shook Souji’s hand, “Yeah, glad to meet you.” Daisuke nudged Kou’s arm, “We better get going or Morooka will have our asses if we’re late.”

“Oh, right.  Nice to meet you, Souji-san. See you around!”  Daisuke and Kou trotted down the hallway, but Kou spun around and yelled, “Oh, by the way, we have our first game Friday, so come see us play, alright?” They ran off before Souji could respond.

“They’re low on team members, so it would probably be nice if we went to cheer them on, right?” Chie asked, but it seemed like more of a demand.

“Sure.  I think I have off work that day.”  The two hurried to their next class.

 

 

The school day ended and Souji wasn’t able to bring himself to ask Yosuke about his shoulder during lunch; Yosuke had been acting normally since the incident and Souji wondered if maybe he really had just been surprised.  The two met up by the shoe lockers and headed to work.  When they walked in, they greeted Aya, who was just getting off the phone.

“Hey, you two.”

“Good afternoon, Aya-sama,” Souji said as he smiled, Yosuke simply waving.

“I need you to pack together any belongings for the kitten in 7A and set them in the break room before you leave tonight.”

“Uh, in the break room?” Yosuke was curious; they always brought the pet’s belongings to the front counter shortly before they were to check out.

“Yeah.  We’ve tried to contact his owner several times, but the phone number they gave us is out of service.  Subaru-san called the veterinary clinic where his vaccinations were done, but they had the same phone number on file and no address.  We looked up his name online, but it’s really common, so we can’t find anything.  Someone from the animal shelter is going to pick him up tomorrow.”

“What??  But he’ll never be adopted there!”  Yosuke’s words were strong, though not angry, “Can’t you take him, Aya?”

“I can’t, I’ve already got two cats and a dog in my tiny apartment.  My landlord will flip if I get another, he might kick me out.”

“You know there are tons of stray cats in Inaba, so he probably won’t be adopted.  What if he’s euthanized?!  He’s so small…” The brunet’s shoulders sank and his expression grew sullen.

“Yosuke-kun.  Why don’t you take him?” Souji asked as he nudged his arm.

“What, me?”

“That’s a great idea, Souji-kun!” Aya perked up and nodded.

Yosuke thought for a moment, “I bet my parents would have a cow.”

“He could keep you company whenever I’m not around.  Besides, there’s no harm in asking your parents and the cat really seems to like you.” Souji was trying to encourage him with a smile.

“No way, they’re on my case enough as it is.”

Aya frowned, “Well then, make sure you gather his things in the break room for me.”

Yosuke waved over his shoulder as he walked to the break room.  He and Souji clocked in and began their short shift.

 

 

After cleaning up some of the kennels, Yosuke came to the kitten in 7A.  He looked lonely and a little dejected _.  The little guy has been away from home for two weeks…it must seem like an eternity to him._ Yosuke opened the kennel door and the kitten perked up immediately with an adorable, tiny meow.  Yosuke felt himself flinch.

“No way, that cute meow isn’t going to work on me,” he said as he handed the kitten to Souji.  He proceeded to clean out the kennel while Souji kept the kitten entertained, but found himself distracted by the tiny, muffled meows and growls the kitten made as it attacked Souji’s hand playfully. 

_He’s really cute, though…_

Souji glanced up and smiled at Yosuke.  Yosuke quickly blushed and turned back to the kennel.

_Kitten!  I was totally thinking about the kitten!_

Yosuke finished cleaning and grabbed the crate above the kennel to take the kitten’s things.  He grumbled to himself as he saw the contents; a small box of food was the only item in his crate, not even a collar or toy.  Yosuke was a little surprised he hadn’t noticed this before. 

He snatched the box of food and the paperwork clipped to the crate, “Tsk.” He left abruptly and then headed into the break room.  He sat down the paperwork and food, staring at it.

 _You just left him here, a tiny cat that can’t even defend himself, with no belongings or anything._   Yosuke crumpled the papers under his hands.

 _And “Neko”?  You didn’t even give it a proper name, you asshole!  People like you piss me off._   He harshly threw the balled up paper at the trash can, staring at the ball as it bounced off the can and fell to the floor.  He stomped out of the room quickly and headed to the front desk.

“Alright, I’ll do it.”

Aya looked up from her paperwork, a little startled by his sudden appearance, “You’ll do what?”

“I’ll adopt the kitten.”

Aya’s face lit up, “Really?  Oh, Yosuke-kun you’re wonderful!” she latched onto him excitedly with a hug.

Yosuke’s face turned red, “A-anyway, do I need to like, sign anything for him?”

“Oh!”  Aya released him and quickly grabbed a few papers from the counter, “Yeah, sign here and here to confirm that he’ll be in your care.” She pointed to a few places and Yosuke signed them right away.

“I’ll take him home with me after my shift.”

Aya gave him a soft smile, “Thank you, Yosuke-kun.  And take this…” she walked over to the computer, typed something and then printed a paper out, handing it to him.

“What’s this?”

“We can’t have a pet here without proper paperwork.” Aya said in a jokingly authoritative tone.

Yosuke laughed under his breath and walked back to the cat kennels.  He entered the room, as Souji and the kitten silently watched, and clipped the new paperwork to the kitten’s crate, tossing the food box back inside.  Souji walked over and looked at the paperwork, and then he smirked.

“I knew you couldn’t resist,” he said as he pushed the kitten in Yosuke’s face.

“Pfft, shut up.” He took the kitten and petted him, as it rolled its head into Yosuke’s hand and purred loudly.  Yosuke smiled, knowing he’d have hell to pay with his parents, but that he’d made the right decision.

 

 

After the kitten was sufficiently tuckered out, they put him onto the blanket in his kennel and closed the door.  Yosuke grabbed the watering can, setting it in the sink and beginning to fill it with water.

“So, there’s something I wanted to ask you.” Souji asked in a soft tone, as he approached Yosuke from behind.

“What about?”

Souji gently touched the spot on Yosuke’s arm that had caused him to wince earlier.  He did it in such a tender way that Yosuke felt no pain.  The brunet glanced over his shoulder and saw the expression on his friends face.  Yosuke bit his lip and faced forward again, “You promise you won’t tell anyone?”

“I promise.”

Yosuke sighed loudly as he turned off the faucet, turning and leaning against the counter, “I got into a fight.”

Souji was a little surprised by the news, “You did what?”

“You heard me, but I totally didn’t start it.“  Yosuke furrowed his brow and looked toward the ground, “There are these guys from a private school here in Inaba, and their families were all owners of businesses that closed when Junes opened.  They cornered me on the way to school this morning and when one of them hit me, I tripped over the curb and fell down a hill.  I had Chie’s DVD in my bag, so it must’ve gotten slammed around.”

Yosuke slowly peeked his head up at Souji, who had a disappointed look on his face.  Yosuke was waiting to be scolded by him but Souji closed his eyes briefly and let out a crestfallen sigh, “Why didn’t you tell us about this?  Does it happen often?”

“Um, maybe once a month or so, it’s not like they do it on a schedule or anything.  I didn’t mention it because the kids at school hardly talk to me as it is.  The last thing I need is to have them actively making fun of me for getting beat up.”

Souji smiled softly as he patted Yosuke on his good arm.  “Alright, I’ll make sure to walk home with you every day.”  Souji grabbed the watering can from behind Yosuke, brushing his arm along Yosuke’s side.

Yosuke jumped a little at the contact, “D-dude, I’m not your girlfriend!  I don’t need you to walk me home every day.”  Yosuke folded his arms and had that defiant look on his face.  “I can take care of myself.”

“You’ve done a great job of that so far, getting beat up every month.”  Souji poured water into the bowls.  “Besides, don’t we walk home together most every day anyway?”

He looked over to see Yosuke’s face turn red as he put his hands on his hips; Souji smiled inwardly to himself. “Fine, whatever.  But people are going to start thinking your my boyfriend or something.”

“I don’t mind.”

“W-what?  Dude!  You are the most carefree person ever!”

Souji simply smiled as Yosuke began to clean up one of the other kennels.

 

 

_“Every day’s great at your Junes!”_

That stupid jingle Yosuke hated played as soon as he and Souji walked in the doors of Junes, after they’d gotten off of work.  The kitten was nestled in Yosuke’s jacket, its head barely peeking out to glance around. 

“You’ve never had a pet before, right?” Souji asked as be picked up a hand basket.

“My mom had a dog from when she was younger but I was just a baby when it passed away, so we haven’t had anything else since then.”

“I see.  You’ll need to get some necessary things to take care of him, are you going to have enough money?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.”

The two made their way over to the pet care department and began looking around.  Souji explained the benefits of certain foods over others and Yosuke was a little shocked, “You know, that Teddie dude was right, you DO know everything,” he said with a laugh.

“I remember this sort of thing from the veterinary clinic, where I worked back in the city.”  Souji sat a box of food in the basket, “This one should be good for him now, but remember to switch to the adult formula once he turns a year old.”

“I’m sure you’ll remind me when I forget.”  The words left Yosuke’s mouth before he realized and Souji had a bit of a sullen expression.  _That’s right, he’ll be back in the city by the time this guy is a year old…_ “Hey, I’m sorry.  I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s alright.  I’ll just be sure to call and remind you, then.” Souji smiled.  The fact that Souji would still want to talk to Yosuke after he went back to the city made Yosuke happy.  He responded with a warm smile as well.  “You’ll need a litter box and some litter, too.”

The two happily picked up the remaining items when Yosuke noticed the toys across the aisle, “Hey, I should get him some toys too, right?”  He grabbed a pack of balls with bells inside and looked them over.

“Yeah, he’ll need things to keep his attention or he might get into your stuff.”  Souji grabbed a flexible stick with multiple rope tails attached to the end and dangled it near the kitten.  It immediately began to squirm partially out of Yosuke’s jacket to attack the toy.

“H-hey, don’t come out of there!  Customers aren’t supposed to bring pets in here.”  Yosuke patted the kitten on the head and stuffed him back inside his jacket. Souji was laughing as Yosuke grabbed the stick and used it to smack him in the arm before putting it in the basket. “Jerk,” Yosuke muttered out between laughs.

“I think that’s about everything, Yosuke.”

“I hope so, this little guy is getting expensive,” Yosuke rubbed his finger between the kitten’s ears. “Oh, wait.  There’s something else I need to get.”  Yosuke began to look around as Souji watched him curiously.  “Here we go.“  Yosuke pulled a dark green collar with a bell from the display, “This says it’s ‘quick release’…what’s that mean?”

“Ah, see this,” Souji leaned over Yosuke’s shoulder, pointing to the buckle on the collar, but Yosuke was distracted by how close Souji had gotten and didn’t bother looking at the collar, “the buckle will pop open if the collar is tugged on.  So if he gets caught on something, it won’t choke him.” Souji glanced at Yosuke, who had been staring, “You do that a lot.”

Yosuke quickly pulled away, “I do not.  It’s just, um, there was something on your face.”

Just as Souji opened his mouth to reply, a familiar voice rang out behind them, “Oooh, am I interrupting something?”

The two boys turned around to see Teddie, the same blond-haired blue-eyed associate that had tried to help Souji pick out sunglasses.

“W-what, no, it’s fine.” Yosuke spouted out as the red from his face calmed to a mild pink.

“Can I help you find anything today?” The blond leaned forward and smiled in an honest fashion.  At this time, he spotted the kitten nestled in Yosuke’s jacket and gasped, “Is that…a cat?  A tiny cat!”  He reached over and scratched under its chin, eliciting a purr.

Souji turned toward him, with a hand on his hips, “I think we’re finding everything okay.  How are you today?”

Teddie’s face lit up jubilantly, “How nice of you to ask, sensei!  I’m doing quite well today, however…” two women were nervously clinging close together as they walked by the end of the aisle, “the recent events have caused some of our lovely lady customers to become beary frightened.”

“…Did you just say beary?” Yosuke peered from around Souji’s shoulder at the child-like employee.

“Hmm?”

“Nevermind.” The brunet scratched his head.

“It’s no surprise.” The three glanced at the girls as Souji spoke, “Inaba is a small town; they usually only hear about things like this happening in large cities, but suddenly, it’s in their own backyard.”  A slight movement caught at the corner of Souji’s eye.  He glanced at Yosuke, who was looking a little somber, his head turned away from their conversation. “Anyways, I think we’re done shopping now.  Was that everything?”  He looked at his friend and nudged his arm, bringing him back to earth.

“O-oh, yep, I think so.” Yosuke gave a half glance at the items in the basket.

“Take care then, come back to see me!” Teddie waved as Souji nodded, before he and Yosuke made their way to the check out.

The two went back to Yosuke’s house, kitten in-tow.  Not surprisingly, his parents weren’t home.  Souji glanced around as he took off his shoes and Yosuke took notice, “Oh yeah, this is your first time at my place,” Yosuke said as he headed upstairs with Souji behind him. “Sorry my room is kinda lame.”

Souji looked around once Yosuke opened the door to his room.  There was a large orange rug, a guitar in its stand, manga stacked on a bookshelf, a western-style bed and multiple CDs piled on a shelf above the desk, “No, it’s fine.”  _This is definitely a ‘Yosuke’ room._ Souji thought to himself and smiled.

The two set up the kittens’ things when Souji asked an obvious question, “So, what are you going to call him?”

Yosuke looked up suddenly, “You know, I hadn’t really thought about it.”  He picked up the kitten, which mewed and squirmed at being held up in the air as the boy studied it.  Yosuke quickly let the feline down and it proceeded to jump into Souji’s lap, beginning to climb. “What does he look like to you?”

Souji tried to free its tiny claws from his dress shirt, “You don’t have to name him right away, you---snrk.” He quickly attempted to stop the kitten from climbing onto his stomach, but it was too late.  His body shook as he broke into laughter, “Hahaha!”

Yosuke’s expression changed to surprise at the outburst.  _He’s laughing….I think that’s the first time I’ve seen him completely let go and laugh like that._

Souji reclined back onto the floor, pulling at the kitten still clinging to his shirt as his cheeks turned red from laughing.  His silver hair shifted gracefully, revealing more of his face as Souji snickered loudly, tears beginning to form at the edges of his eyes.  Yosuke didn’t realize when he’d begun staring; he found the uncommon reaction from Souji to be endearing, and smiled.  Souji moved desperately to unstick the kitten from his stomach, finally succeeding and holding the kitten into the air.  “That wasn’t very nice,” Souji said in a joking manner, “and you, thanks for the help.”

Yosuke snapped back to reality quickly, “Sorry, it’s just…I don’t think I’ve seen you laugh so uninhibited before.  You’re normally more, um, reserved.  It was nice.”  _God, I sound like such a girl…_ Souji stared at Yosuke a little blankly.  _Hey, d-don’t stare like that!_

He turned back to the kitten, rubbing its stomach with his thumbs as he smiled, “I’ll try to remember that.”

_Remember that..?  What the heck does that mean?!_

“Oh, by the way…”  Souji sat the kitten down and it curled up next to Yosuke’s leg, “there’s a basketball game this Friday and Kou-san invited me; Chie-san was there, so I don’t think I can get off the hook.  You want to come along?”

Yosuke gave a gentle smile, “Sure, partner.”

“Thanks, I really didn’t want to go by myself, but I’ll feel better if you’re there with me.”  Souji only realized how affectionate the words sounded after he’d said them.  With no response from his friend, he slowly looked over to gauge Yosuke’s reaction.

He noticed Yosuke’s cheeks were a hint of pink for the brief moment their eyes met, before Yosuke quickly looked down and began petting the kitten.  Souji made a quiet hum of approval as he smiled, sitting up, “I’d better get going, I still have some homework to do.”

“Yeah sure, I’ll walk you out.”

The two walked downstairs and Souji put on his shoes, as Yosuke handed Souji his uniform jacket.  During the quick exchange, Souji’s fingers brushed Yosuke’s very gently; so gently, in fact, he didn’t think the other noticed.  “I’ll see you tomorrow.  Have a good night.”  Souji walked out as Yosuke moved to the doorway and waved. 

Yosuke closed the door and locked it, not moving his hand from the lock.  He stared at his own fingers, the same fingers Souji had touched.  He slowly placed them against his lower lip and smiled as he felt the heat radiate.

After waving goodbye and hearing the door close behind him, Souji threw his jacket over his arm.  His fingers peeked out from underneath the dark cloth.  Running his thumb across the spot on his fingers that had brushed against Yosuke’s, he smiled.

 

 

“Souji-san, hey.”  A voice called out behind the silver-haired teen; he turned to greet the familiar voice of Kou Ichijo.

“Ah, hey Kou-san.  Good morning.”  A girl with light hair and a tiny frame stood beside him.  She was quite beautiful but there was an air of conceit about her.

“You coming to the game Friday?”

“Yeah, I asked someone to come with me yesterday, actually.”

“Oh, Souji-san, this is Ai Ebihara.  She’s the basketball team manager.”

“Hello.” Ai said plainly.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Souji Seta.”

“Mm.”  Her response was short and unconcerned.  “Kou-kun, we should-“

“Heeey!” Chie came up from behind Kou and smacked him lightly on the shoulder, interrupting Ai.  “You ready for the game?”

A light pink tinted Kou’s cheeks, “O-oh, hey Chie-san.  I hope so.”  The light haired girl narrowed her eyes at Chie’s contact with Kou.

Ai leaned forward and curtly said, “We were talking, you know.”

“By the way, do any of you have notes for Ms. Sofue’s class?  Eh, heh, practice has been intense, so I got tired and fell asleep yesterday.”

“I’ve got them.” Chie dug into her bag and handed a notebook to Kou.

He took the notebook and put it in his bag with a shy smile, “Thanks, Chie.”  There was a slight grunt before Ai quickly turned on her heel and stormed off down the hall.  Kou looked over his shoulder and called out, “Um, Ai-san?  Hey, what’s the matter?”  The three watched her stomp away, rounding a corner and disappearing from view.

“She’s just being a prima donna.” Chie said, glaring down the hall.  “Hey, we’d better get to class!”

“Right, see you later.”  The three separated quickly, each headed a different direction.  Souji made his way downstairs, hearing a few male students gossiping as he exited the stairwell.

“I heard he beat up a whole biker gang and then made himself their leader!”

“What, seriously?  Why is a delinquent like that at our school?”

The two stiffened as a tall student with bleached-blond hair approached them, stuffing his hands in his pockets, with his school jacket hanging off his shoulders.  Something small fell from his pocket and it caught Souji’s eye.  The blond student gave the gossiping students a snarl and they quickly dispersed.

“You dropped this.” Souji held out the object that had fallen from the boy’s pocket, a tiny stuffed pink bunny keychain.

“Huh?” Kanji turned around, immediately noticing the pink bunny in Souji’s hand and blushed. “Tsk!” He snatched the keychain from Souji and walked off in a huff before anything else could be said.

 

 

Two nights later, Souji and Nanako watched the evening news after dinner.

“Next is an update in the ongoing investigation of the bizarre murders occurring in Inaba.  One week ago, local high school student Saki Konishi was found dead in Inaba’s residential area.  Not only was the body positioned similarly to the first victim, Mayumi Yamano, but Miss Konishi had been the one to discover Miss Yamano’s body.  Police are proceeding under the assumption that the two cases are related and that it may be the sign of a serial murder case.  No further details have been released.”

Nanako sighed, a sullen expression on her face, “I guess Dad won’t be coming home tonight.”

“I’ll be here with you, though.”

Nanako gave a slight smile, “…I’ll be alright.  Could you help me do some things around the house?”

Souji nodded; Nanako was very reliable and mature for such a young girl.  She had been dealing with the murders and her father’s absence well.  “Sure, what do you-“ he stopped, hearing a familiar voice from the tv; it was the same male reporter that had hounded Saki when she found the body.

“After the incident with Miss Yamano, the manager of Amagi Inn has stepped aside, leaving her daughter to fill in.  In other words, Inaba’s oldest historical landmark is now run by a girl still in high school!  The ‘high school inn-manager’, that has a nice ring to it…let’s see if we can interview her!  Hey, excuse me!”  The reporter and cameraman hastily chased after a female form.

“U-um, are you speaking to me?”  Yukiko looked surprised as she turned around to the tinny voice of the male reporter, bags in her hand.  “Oh, it’s you…”  It was obvious she recognized the reporter as the one who had interviewed Saki.  Yukiko had been quite upset by the reporter’s questioning of Saki and it was possible she’d tell him off.

“So, we heard you’re the manager of the Amagi Inn.  Is it true that you’re still in high school?”

“I’m simply filling in for my mother until she is well enough to resume her duties.”

“You will run the inn one day, though.  That aside, wow!  You are gorgeous in that lovely kimono.  Your inn must get a lot of male visitors!”

“No, um…” The young girl looked to be growing uncomfortable with the line of questioning, her fingers fidgeting with the sleeve of her kimono.

“Though, you had one particular female visitor of interest…Miss Mayumi Yamano.  She had been staying at your inn up until her death, isn’t that right?”

“…I’ve been advised to not comment on our visitors and their affairs.” The black-haired girl looked tenser with each question thrown at her by the invasive reporter.

“Oh, speaking of affairs, Miss Yamano was having an affair with Mr. Taro Namatame.  Do you think her death was caused by a bitter love rivalry and was Saki Konishi somehow involved in the affair as well?  She attended your school, isn’t that right?”

”Stop this at once!”  The girl was angry now, gripping her sleeve tightly as she raised her voice.  “Your questioning of Miss Konishi was horrible enough for a girl that had just found a body, and now you make accusations of her being involved in that scandal?  Not only is that a ridiculous accusation but your questions are out of line!  I’ll have no more of your alleged ‘reporting’ on our premises, you are not welcomed here.  Please leave.”  Yukiko spun around; her raven hair twirling over her shoulder as she quickly made her way inside the inn.

“W-well, that concludes our interview for now.  We’ll update you once more news is made available.”  The man sounded a little shaken; it was obvious he didn’t expect the demure girl to bust out his pushy interview tactics.

“Could you help me with the dishes?”  Nanako’s words caused Souji to flinch, having been so caught up in the interview.

“Sure.”  Souji and Nanako got up and made their way into the kitchen for chores.

 

 

A short while later, Souji and Nanako finished cleaning up and he sent her to bed.  Walking up the stairs, Souji pulled his phone from his pocket, ready to text Yosuke and Chie about Yukiko’s interview.

Surprisingly, he already had a text from both Chie and Yosuke.  He closed the door to his room and sat on the sofa as he replied.

  
 ** _Chie Satonaka_** _  
That asshole reporter that interviewed Saki Konishi got to Yukiko too; she was on the news tonight!_

  
 ** _Souji Seta_** _  
I saw it earlier.  Have you talked to her?_

  
 **_Chie Satonaka_ _  
_**_Yeah, she called me right after it happened.  She’s fine, just a little shaken up.  The Inn was busy, so she couldn’t talk long.  We can talk to her about it tomorrow, though._

  
 ** _Souji Seta_ _  
_**_Sounds good. Goodnight, then._

  
 ** _Chie Satonaka_ _  
_**_Good night!_

**_Yosuke Hanamura_ **   
_Dude, Yukiko was on tv tonight!  It was that same guy who cornered Saki-sempai._

**_Souji Seta_ ** _  
I was surprised she lashed out like that.  Chie-san saw it too._

  
 **_Yosuke Hanamura_ _  
_**_Oh shit, really?  She’s kind of protective of her…I’m surprised she didn’t stomp down to the TV station and rip the guy a new one, haha_

  
 **_Souji Seta_ _  
_**_Yeah, she didn’t seem happy about it.  Yukiko-san is fine; she’s just busy with the inn._

  
 **_Yosuke Hanamura_ _  
_**_Ah, that’s good to know.  By the way, I named the kitten Kane._

  
 **_Souji Seta_ _  
_**_…I hope you didn’t mean Cain._

  
 **_Yosuke Hanamura_ _  
_**_No!  Ka-ne, because he really seems to like the bell on his collar and in his toy._

  
 **_Souji Seta_ _  
_**_I was kidding.  That’s a little odd for a cat, but it works._

  
 ** _Yosuke Hanamura_ _  
_**_I couldn’t find him for like an hour earlier, he hid somewhere but I kept hearing that damn bell._

  
 **_Souji Seta_ _  
_**_Where was he?_

  
 **_Yosuke Hanamura_ _  
_**_In my desk drawer._

  
 **_Souji Seta_ _  
_**_What?  How did that happen?_

  
 **_Yosuke Hanamura_ _  
_**_I was putting some stuff away and I guess he hopped in when I wasn’t looking.  He was really scared when I found him though, so I couldn’t stay mad at him._

  
 **_Souji Seta_ _  
_**_Clearly._

  
 **_Yosuke Hanamura_ _  
_**_Hey, could you come over tomorrow and help me kitten-proof the house?_

  
 _ **Souji Seta**  
_ _Is he that inquisitive?_

  
 _ **Yosuke Hanamura**  
_ _…he got stuck in a DRAWER earlier.  So that’s a yes._

  
 **_Souji Seta_ _  
_**_Haha, sure, after work?_

  
 **_Yosuke Hanamura_ _  
_**_Yeah, thanks man._

  
 **_Souji Seta_ _  
_**_No problem, I’ll see you then.  Goodnight._

  
 **_Yosuke Hanamura_ _  
_**_Night._

_  
_

The next morning at school, Souji, Yosuke and Chie talked to Yukiko about the interview on tv.

“Ugh, it was mortifying.” Her dark head sank low, “I made such a fool of myself.”

Chie patted her on the shoulder, “No way, that guy deserved it!”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it Yukiko-san.  You were quite eloquent, if I must say.” Yosuke smiled as he made a mocked English accent.

Souji nodded at the comment, “It was understandable that you’d be angry.”

“You think so?” Yukiko raised her head and glanced at her friends.

Chie leaned down, “Don’t worry about it!” Souji and Yosuke nodded as well. “O-okay.  Thank you.” She smiled amidst her flushed face, just as the bell rang.

“We’ll see you guys later!” Chie waved as she and Yukiko left the room together.

Yosuke and Souji headed to their next class, stopping to chat with Kou outside his classroom.  Ai Ebihara was approaching from down the hall and noticed Kou happily talking with his two friends.  Her crush on Kou was growing, so she sought to make him jealous by flirting with Souji in front of him.  She quickly interjected herself into their conversation as she sauntered over.

“You know, Souji-kun, you really should reconsider Kou’s offer to join the team.  You’ve got the perfect body for playing basketball…so tall with a nice, lean build…” she wrapped her hand around one of Souji’s arms, rubbing on his bicep.  Souji had a bewildered expression at Ai’s action and Yosuke took notice.

_W-what the hell, Ebihara!  All of a sudden he’s in your sights now?  She could have just about any damn guy at school and she latches onto the person I’m closest to? Ugh…_

“And your arms are pretty muscular too.  He’d be a great asset, don’t you think Kou-kun?”  Ai gave Kou a smoldering look and Souji grew uncomfortable.

_Just let him go already!  Can’t she see how uncomfortable he is?  Damn it, she’s pissing me off.  And why doesn’t he just push her away..?_

“He’s too busy Ai-san, I told you that before.  Besides, we have a game tomorrow, so we wouldn’t have any time to get him trained beforehand.”

“That’s too bad.  I-“

Before she could utter another word, Yosuke had grabbed Souji by the sleeve and pulled him away, walking down the hallway in a hurried pace.

“Yosuke?”

He kept his face low and continued walking ahead of Souji to hide his red face, “We’ll get in trouble if we’re late.”  It was a poor excuse, but Souji decided not to ask about it.

 

 

After work, the two headed back to Yosuke’s house as planned.  They removed their shoes and headed up to Yosuke’s room.

“So, what did you want to move?” Souji asked as he picked up the kitten, holding it to his chest.  Yosuke cocked his brow, a hand on his hip.  Souji recognized that as Yosuke’s ‘thinking face’ and smiled inwardly. 

“My parents haven’t seen him yet, so I wanted to get everything squared away before I told them.  We need to move the desk closer to the wall, same for the tv stand.  He kept trying to get behind there yesterday.”  Yosuke peered around the room as Souji sat Kane in a chair. “Oh, and the night stand too.  I have a bunch of junk that still needs to be put away, but I can do that on my own.”

“That’s alright, I don’t mind helping.”  Souji moved to look behind the desk, removing some CDs that would have fallen during the move.

Yosuke grinned, “Thanks a lot.”

The two arranged a few pieces of furniture, to prevent the nosy kitten from getting stuck, and were putting away some random small items that were lying about. 

“What about these?” Souji sat in the floor next to Yosuke’s desk, holding up a stack of papers.

Yosuke was stuffing things into the trash bin as he glanced over. “Hmm, throw them on the desk with the other stuff.” 

Souji looked up; there was an ever-growing pile of random things stacked on Yosuke’s desk.  He was pretty sure they had hardly put anything in its place and instead were just putting the random items up there.

“You should really find somewhere to put all of this.” Souji sat the stack of papers on the desk anyway and then relaxed back on the floor.  He raised his arms above his head and stretched.  The day had grown long; after school, work and now this, Souji was pretty tired.  He closed his eyes for just a moment.  Yosuke stopped suddenly and watched his friend, drifting halfway to the unconscious.  Souji’s face was always so calm, but when he was sleeping, it was especially serene.

Souji sensed something and noticed a darkened form above him.  He blinked a few times, only to see Yosuke hanging over him, a playfully sadistic grin on his face. “Um, Yos-“ before Souji could finish, Yosuke had latched his fingers onto Souji’s sides and began to tickle him.  “C-come on…Yosuke, would you stop?!  Hahaha!”  Souji was barely able to speak between laughs.

“This is what you get for falling asleep when you’re supposed to be helping me!” Yosuke managed out while laughing at his friend writhing, his headphones falling to the floor during the struggle.

“Hahaha, y-you...” Souji grabbed his friend’s wrists and forced himself over Yosuke surprisingly easy, not realizing his knee was firmly pinning Yosuke’s headphone cord to the floor.  He began to tickle the brunet back, who cackled out loudly in response. “It’s not so funny now, is it?”

“S-shut up, haha, you caught me off----ACK!”  In a split-second, Yosuke gagged and tried to reach for his throat; the cord from his headphones had wrapped around his neck when they had fallen and it was now strangling him.  His eyes widened suddenly, irises dilating as he arched his back, gasping for air.  Suddenly, there is darkness.

Eyes blink to reveal tiny, blurry lights in the distance; his body rests on an uncomfortable cold, damp pavement.  Rain gently falls, blurring his vision further.  A tight, unmoving restriction is clasped around his throat; there is no air, he cannot breathe.  He reaches up and recognizes the form of a cold, wet hand latched around his neck.

Messy hair restricts his view of the person before him.  He opens his mouth to yell but the fingers around his neck clench tighter, and any noise is cut off.  There’s a prominent taste of iron in his mouth; it must be blood.  Digging his nails into the cold hand around his neck, he can feel his fingers begin to go numb.  He can hear nothing but his own heart beating faster and faster as he begins to struggle; His eyes began to water, the tears running down the side of his face as he claws at the hand denying him the precious oxygen he so needed.  His legs and arms now feel heavy and begin to tingle, like pin-pricks all over.  The force of the person pressing down on his throat and hips causes tiny granules of sand and dirt from the ground to grind into his skin, as he tries to kick at his assailant.  “P…le…ase..”  It was almost a whisper; so desperate.  A hand yanks at the clothing on his hips but there is no strength to fight back now.  “…sto..p…it”

“Yosuke!”  Souji yelled as he grabbed the taught cord and pulled, yanking it out from under his knee.  He swiftly unwrapped it from Yosuke’s slender neck, cradling his head, but his friend continued to claw at the spot, as if he was still being strangled.  His face was twisted, frightened.

“…hurt..ing….me…”

Souji grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a violent shake, yelling “YOSUKE!!!”

He blinked, his irises readjusting.  The light is much brighter now and he noticed a prominent shadow hunched over him.  His heart suddenly drops.

“GET AWAY!”  Yosuke cries out.   He pushed the person off of him and quickly crawled over to the wall, huddling against it.  He looked at the ground, his breathing ragged and his eyes widened.

Souji sat in shock at what had just transpired, staring at his friend.  _What…just happened?_   The cord was only around Yosuke’s throat for a moment before Souji had unwrapped it.  _He’s nearly scared to death, he looks so fragile._ Souji got up, walking over to Yosuke but stopped a few feet from him and then crouched to the ground.  He inched forward slowly and put his hand on Yosuke’s shoulder; he twitched slightly under Souji’s touch.“…Yosuke?”

The brunet blinked a few times, hearing the familiar voice.  He glanced up from the ground and noticed his surroundings.  White walls, an orange rug beneath him, a kitten meowing; this was his own room.  There was no rain, no taste of blood and his limbs weren’t numb. 

"You don’t have to be afraid, I’d never hurt you."

“Souji?”  Yosuke turned to notice his friend crouched beside him, with a worried expression he’d never seen on his face.  Yosuke remembered then, something he hadn’t thought about in a long time; and then he recalled what he’d said to his assailant, ‘You’re hurting me.’ _Oh…he must’ve thought I meant…_ Souji’s normally piercing gray eyes were now full of concern; just as Souji opened his mouth to say something, Yosuke lunged forward at him.  Souji fell back, bracing himself with one hand as Yosuke clutched onto his shirt, burying his face under Souji’s chin.  After a few minutes, Kane wandered over, nudging his head on Yosuke’s leg but he didn’t move. “Could you stay here tonight?  Please.”

Without hesitation, Souji replied. “Sure.”

Souji made a call to Dojima and borrowed some clothes from Yosuke, as the brunet went downstairs to grab the spare futon.  When Souji got out of the bath room, he was surprised to see two futons had already been laid out; only slivers of moonlight lit the room and Kane was curled up on a tiny blanket placed above their futons.  Despite having his own bed, Yosuke was already wrapped up in one of the futons, facing the empty one beside him.  He met Souji’s eyes as he entered the room.  It was still early, but after the incident earlier, Souji figured Yosuke could use some rest and decided not to pry.  He laid down in his futon, facing Yosuke.

The brunet tucked his chin toward his chest, “I’m sorry, for earlier.”

“Stupid.”

“Huh?” Yosuke looked up as Souji suddenly pulled him into his chest. 

“You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

Yosuke smiled briefly and clutched at his friend’s shirt.  He had asked Souji to stay because he feared he wouldn’t be able to sleep after what happened.  Yosuke reveled in the warmth of Souji’s chest and arms.  Souji brushed his hand along the top of the brunet’s head until he felt repetitious breathing coming from Yosuke, ensuring Souji that he had fallen asleep.  Running a small tuft of the brunet’s hair through his fingers, Souji stared as the color glistened in the slivers of pale moonlight peeking through the blinds. 

_What happened to you, Yosuke?_


	5. Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During Kou's basketball game, Yukiko is confronted by a strange man, but escapes unscathed. After discussing the occurrence, the group dubs themselves "The Investigation Team".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay! I had a few projects to get out of the way before posting this. I have another chapter done as well, but it needs some editing. After that, hopefully I can get back on a regular posting schedule ^__^

Friday Afternoon, just after school.

Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko and Souji met near the shoe lockers before heading to grab a bite to eat at Junes, before the basketball game.  As they passed by the front gate to the school, a teenage boy stepped out from behind the entrance. 

“Yuki.”

The boy walked a few steps a stopped.  He was pallid and slightly hunched over, having very bad posture, with messy black hair.  The group suddenly stopped and watched him as he spoke.

Stumbling over his words, he didn’t look her in the eye, “You’re Yuki, right”  Y-you want to go h-hang out somewhere?”

Yukiko looked surprised, “Wh-what?  Who are you?”

Just then, a pair of students noticed the conversation.  “What’s up with that guy?  What school is he from?” the lighter-haired student asked.

“Forget that, he’s going for Yukiko-san.  You’d think he’d wait for her to be alone before making his move.”  The dark-haired boy snickered under his breath.

The lighter-haired student laughed openly now, “What an idiot!  Does he think he’s got a chance of conquering the Amagi Challenge?”

“Yeah, seriously.  He’s going to get shot down!”

Mitsuo grew uncomfortable, sneering at the two gossipers, “Um, s-so…are you coming or not?” His delivery was definitely harsher this time.

“I-I’m not going…” The raven-haired girl shied away.

The boy balled up his fists, “Fine!” He stomped away in a hurry, muttering “Stupid bitch, “ as he left.

“Who was that?” Souji asked.

Chie put her hands on her hips. “Oh, it’s some guy that asked Yukiko out before the end of last semester.”

Yosuke chimed in, “Oh yeah, I remember that guy now.”

“What did he want from me?” Yukiko looked to Chie, a puzzled expression on her face.

“What did he want?  Obviously, he was trying to ask you out on a date again!” Chie rolled her eyes; Yukiko was as oblivious as ever. “I can’t believe you didn’t remember the guy either, sheesh.  It was creepy though, how he called you ‘Yuki’ all of a sudden.”

“Yeah, he is serious stalker-material.” Yosuke folded his arms.

Souji watched the black-haired boy disappear from view as he took a step forward, “Come on, we should go.”

 

 

The group then made their way to the Junes food court and sat down to eat before the game.

“I’m sorry I can’t go with you.  Golden Week is starting tomorrow and our inn is always really busy before and during that time.”  Yukiko looked a little melancholy, sitting next to Chie.

“Aw, don’t worry about it.  The inn is important, too!  It’s just a silly basketball game.”

“Yes, but I promised you I’d go…”

Yosuke looked up from his soda, “Come on Yukiko-san, Chie said it was okay.  We can all go to the next game together.”

“You’re right, thanks Yosuke-kun.”

The group began to chat for a moment when a cheerful voice rang out, “Hello sensei and Yosuke!”  The blond boy Yosuke and Souji knew as Teddie came bounding over, but stopped when he saw Chie and Yukiko. “Oh…my goodness!”  His eyes lit up as he crouched next to their table, staring at the two girls.  “Are these your girlfriends?”

The entire group seemed to blush all at once.

“N-no way! “ Yosuke blurted out suddenly.

“What do you mean ‘No way’??” Chie motioned with her hand harshly.

“I um…I just mean, uh, you’re not my type Chie.  Heh, eh.…” Yosuke looked troubled and nudged Souji.

Souji tried not to laugh at the look on his friend’s face, “We all go to school together Teddie.  This is Chie and Yukiko.”

The girls said their hellos and Teddie suddenly stood up and moved between the girls, taking one of each of their hands into his own.  “My, my my…such lovely ladies you go to school with.  Ahem, good afternoon beauties.  My name is Teddie.  I just moved here and work at this fine establishment.”

“Pff, ‘fine establishment’ my ass, “ Yosuke mumbled under his breath before defiantly blowing bubbles into his soda.

“Hiya Teddie.”  Chie waved with her free hand.

“Hehe, hello Teddie.  It’s nice to meet you.”  Yukiko giggled as Teddie swooned over them, he was very ‘out there’. “Here Teddie, why don’t you have a seat?”  Yukiko patted at the empty spot next to her.

“Oh, but then I couldn’t sit near Chie-chan too…”

Yukiko looked to Chie for a response.  The short-haired girl grinned and then Yukiko scooted over.  “Is that better?” Chie asked.

“Beary much so.  Thank you, my wonderful ladies.”

Yosuke arched his brow a the word, “Oh geez…did you say ‘beary’ again?

“Ah, haha, sorry about that.”  Teddie smiled innocently before chatting with the girls, not expanding upon his statement.

Souji looked at Yosuke quizzically; Yosuke simply shrugged as he drank the last of his strawberry soda.  After chatting with Teddie for a while, Yukiko looked at her cell phone.  “It’s already 4:30, I should be getting home now.  We have a large guest party coming in at 6:00, so I need to prepare.”  She stood up and bowed slightly, “Have fun at the game and it was nice to meet you Teddie.  See you later!”  The girl’s silky hair fell over her shoulder gracefully as she waved and then left the group.

“A game?”  Teddie asked.

Chie looked at him, “Our school is having a basketball game today.” Chie said, as she stood, grabbing her empty food container.

“Basket ball?”

“You seriously don’t know what basketball is?” Yosuke said as he stopped chewing on his straw.

“That’s bad for your teeth, you know.” Souji pointed at the mangled straw in Yosuke’s cup. “You should chew gum instead.”

“Oh, I have some gum, sensei!” Teddie reached into his apron pocket and handed a piece of gum to Yosuke.

“Thanks, Teddie.” Yosuke said with a smile.

“See, that will be much better.”  Souji took the empty cup from Yosuke and threw it away.  When he sat back down, Teddie was staring at them.  “…What is it?”

“Sensei, if Yukiko-chan and Chie-chan aren’t your girlfriends, then is Yosuke your girlfriend?”

Chie spit out her water and started laughing hysterically, snorting at the height of her laugh.  Yosuke’s face, from his neck to the tips of his ears, burned red hot while Souji looked like a deer caught in the headlights before clearing his throat.

“That would be a boyfriend…and no.”

Chie was still laughing, “C-come on boyfriends, we need to get back for the game.”  She moved to pick up the empty food containers but Teddie stopped her.

“Oh, allow me.” Teddie smoothly took the empty containers from Chie and threw them in the trash bin.  “I should be getting back to work, my break is over now.  It was nice to meet you Chie-chan.  Have fun at your game!”

As Chie continued to snicker under her breath, she waved to Teddie.  Yosuke was looking down at the table when Souji stood up.  _Is his face still red?_ “Are you coming?”

“Uh, yeah.”  Yosuke shook his head and got up, following Chie and Souji back towards the school.

Along the way, Yosuke decided to chew the gum Teddie had given him.  Opening the wrapper, he noticed it had no smell.  “Huh.” He stuffed the gum into his mouth and began to chew before stopping suddenly and spitting the gum out.

“Hmm?”  Chie and Souji stopped, turning around.

Their friend was flailing his arms, trying to fan his mouth. “Hot, hot….what the hell is that?”

Chie took the gum wrapper from Yosuke and read the tiny print, “Haha, this is wasabi-flavored!’

“Ugh, I hate wasabi!  Hey, someone get me a drink, would ya?”

Souji waved his Junes cup in front of Yosuke, who quickly grabbed it and began to drink; the slightly sweet flavor stung as it cooled the burn in his throat.  After a moment, he stopped, “T-thanks partner…” He handed the cup back to Souji and the trio began walking again.  A moment later, Souji took a drink from the cup and Yosuke felt a chill wash over him, as he stared at the straw.  The same straw Yosuke had drank from….which Souji drank from before that.  His mouth fell agape at the realization, but he quickly turned back forward and bit his lower lip. 

“Something wrong?” Souji asked, noticing his friend tense up.

“Nope, nothing.”  Yosuke made sure to look the opposite direction of his silver-haired friend, as his face had turned red.  Chie looked over and snickered at his expression.  He shot her a nasty look just as they walked past the school gates.  Chie snickered again, obviously not deterred by his sneer. 

 

They made their way to the gym, stopping in the doorway just before Kou called out, “Hey, you guys made it!”  He waved the group over to an open area on the bleachers, right up front, next to Daisuke.  “We managed to save you guys some seats.”

“Thanks Kou!  You guys are gonna do great today, I just know it!” Chie patted him on the shoulder before taking a seat next to Daisuke.  Ai, a few spaces down, gave a nasty look to Chie before calling Kou over.

“Oh, we’ve got stuff to go over beforehand.  Cheer us on, okay?”  He backpedaled over to the rest of team.  After their pre-game pep talk, Ai came and sat beside Souji.  He didn’t say anything to her and simply watched the players make their way out onto the court.

Just before halftime, Kou managed to make a three-point shot and the crowd cheered.

Daisuke threw a fist into the air, “Woo-hoo, yeah Kou!”

“Great shot Kou!”  Chie yelled out as she jumped up, excitedly.

Kou saw Chie cheering for him and blushed just for a moment, before the halftime buzzer sounded.  He headed over to the benches with the team, to rest up.  The spunky girl gave him a grin and thumbs up, to which he responded with a thumbs up back. 

Ai’s lip twitched and she quickly latched onto Souji’s arm, leaning forward, “Hey, nice one, Kou!” she waved him over.  Yosuke grumbled under his breath at the girl’s closeness to Souji.  She sat with her shoulder firmly pressed against Souji’s as he sighed.  She complained to Kou about the team keeping up their defense before Kou ran back to his teammates.  Ai leaned forward in front of Souji’s face, “Remember what I said, Kou!”  She faced Souji, incredibly close, and smiled.

_Stupid Ebihara!_

Yosuke stood up suddenly and walked out the side doors of the gym, without explanation.  Daisuke and Chie curiously watched, as Souji brushed Ai’s arms away when he stood.

“S-Souji-kun!” Ai whined out as Souji quickly trekked across the slick flooring of the gym and out the side doors.  

By the time Souji got outside, Yosuke was crouched and leaning against the brick wall.  “Hey, are you alright?”

Yosuke looked up, surprised to hear Souji’s voice, “O-oh, yeah.”

“What did you come out here for?”

“...I felt a little dizzy, so I came to get some fresh air.”

“Ah.” Souji sat down beside him, resting his back against the cool brick wall.  “It is pretty stuffy in there.”  Despite knowing Yosuke’s response was a lie, he didn’t want to press the issue by asking further.

“Heh.”  The two sat shoulder-to-shoulder and watched the orange skyline.

_Ring-ring-ring_

Souji reached into his pocket and grabbed his cell phone, looking at the display.  His expression dropped as he stood up, “Hello?  Yes, father.”  Souji took a few steps away, placing a hand on his hip.

Yosuke watched as Souji’s expression changed from casual to dull and stiff.

“Things are going fine.  Uh-huh.  It’s going well; I like the job a lot, actually.  Mm-hmm.  Dojima-san and Nanako-chan are fine as well.  What do you mean?  …Are you drinking?  I _am_ with family, just because I didn’t choose to -“ Souji looked irritated as his father cut him off.  Yosuke could clearly hear the person on the line yelling now, even from where he sat.  “I’m sorry, but I’m busy right now.  I’ll talk to you later.” Souji turned the phone off, snapped it shut and slid it back into his pocket.  He stood, staring at the horizon; a light breeze ruffling his hair.

“Hey, is everything alright?”  Souji turned around to see a concerned Yosuke now standing behind him.

Souji tried to smile it off, “Sorry about that.  My father calls to gripe at me after he’s been drinking.”

“Oh, you said your parents are getting a divorce, right?  That must be rough, I’m sorry.” Yosuke stepped forward, stopping beside his friend.

“Yeah, it’s the reason I came to live here.  My mother moved into a tiny place with barely enough room for her, while my father lives in our old house.  They argue almost every day, even though they’re already separated and I get dragged into the middle of it.  My father is angry I didn’t come to live with him afterwards and calls to vent his frustrations.” Souji sighed despondently, “I’m not looking forward to going back at the end of the school year.  Dealing with him is exhausting.”

Yosuke was surprised at the amount of personal information Souji had so easily trusted to him just now.  He was normally so quiet, reserved; but recently, he had been opening up bit by bit and Yosuke found that it made him incredibly happy.

“Don’t let it get to you.”  Yosuke stepped forward as Souji looked at him, “You’re usually so level-headed, it’s weird to see you with such a sullen face.”  Yosuke smiled, “I mean, you’ve got family here, a job and friends too, so you’re not alone.  You don’t have to deal with any of that until almost a year from now, so just enjoy your time here.  Besides, maybe you can stay here, you never know…but I’ll be here to help you deal with it when the time comes  ”  Yosuke rocked back on his heels a little as the orange-colored sky and setting sun behind him lit up his light brown hair like gold.

Souji stood and stared at Yosuke briefly; the sincerity in his words caught Souji by surprise.  _I don’t think I’d be enjoying my time in Inaba as much as I am, if it wasn’t for him.  This guy is…_

Yosuke smiled.

 _I’ve already gotten attached to him, haven’t I?_   Souji closed his eyes and smiled with a hum of approval.  “Thank you, Yosuke.”

Yosuke grinned and patted Souji on the back as they headed back inside the gym.

 

 

“Yukiko, dear,” a middle-aged woman, delicate and feminine, called Yukiko over. “I need you to pick up a few things.  The extra guests exhausted some of our supplies.”

Yukiko took a small list from her mother’s hand, “Alright.  I’ll return shortly.”  Still wearing her pink kimono, she grabbed her wallet before sliding on her sandals.

“Be careful, dear.” Her mother called out just as Yukiko waved to her from the door. 

It was just after eight o’clock and the sky was already black.  The raven-haired girl visited a local store that supplied food for the inn.  On her way back, she spotted a form under one of the street lights ahead of her.  As she got closer, she could make out that it was a man, wearing dark pants and a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his face.  Finding him slightly creepy, just standing and facing her like that, Yukiko kept her eyes forward; not giving him a second look as she walked passed him.

“Yukiko…Amagi.”

A chill ran up her spine as she slowly turned around, gripping her bags tightly.

“You’re Yukiko Amagi, right?”

“U-umm…” she didn’t know if she should confirm or not.  She focused on the man’s head, trying to make out his face, but the harsh light from the overhead street lamp made it impossible.

“You should be careful out here at night by yourself, it isn’t safe.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“That killer, the police still haven’t caught him.”  Yukiko stepped back, putting distance between them.  “I’m not going to hurt you…” The man stepped forward, reaching his hand out as if to calm her.  “I came to warn you.”

“W-warn me?  Of what?”

“You were on the news, that’s how he picks his victims.”

There was a lump in her throat as Yukiko slid her hand down to her side, tugging at the material of her kimono, in an effort to loosen it.  It would be impossible for her to run from a grown man with the fabric tightly wrapped around her as it was. 

“I can take you somewhere safe, please…or you’ll die just like the others.” He reached forward and grabbed at her shoulder, but Yukiko threw her bags at the man and screamed.

“HELP!”  She turned around and tried to run, but the man had a hold on her sleeve, causing her to fall down.  She struggled, pushing the man away as he hovered over her, “SOMEONE, HELP ME!”

“Please, come with me!”

Two men standing coming outside of a bar noticed the scene, “Hey!  Get away from her!”  The men ran towards them, yelling at her assailant.

“Damnit…” the hooded man ran off, darting down a nearby alley as one of the men chased after him.

“Are you alright?” The second man stopped and helped Yukiko up, “Come on, we can go call the police.”

 

 

A few hours later, Chie’s phone began to ring; it was the ringtone she’d set for Yukiko.

She picked up the phone immediately and began talking, “Hey Yukiko!  The game was really good; we won by only a few points!  You’ll definitely have to come with us to the next one!” A moment passed and her heart dropped, as there was no response.

“…Yukiko?”

“Chie…something happened.”  Her voice was faint and small, almost monotone.

“I’m coming over, right now.”  Chie was already pulling on her jacket, but she was halted by her friend.

“No, I’m alright, I’m just….I’m a little shaken up.”

“Are you sure?  What happened?”

“There was a man.  He confronted me when I ran out for an errand.  I thought he was going to hurt me…but two men chased him away.”

Chie couldn’t say anything as her mouth fell slack.  The person closest to her, her best friend, could have been killed tonight.  She could feel her hands growing clammy, “But, you’re okay, right?  He didn’t hurt you?”

“No, he didn’t.  The men that helped me called the police and I filed a report.  Detective Dojima and Adachi just dropped me off at home, actually.  Listen Chie, I just wanted to let you know that I was okay.  I didn’t want it to get reported on tv and have you find out that way.”

“No, I get it…I’m….”  Chie bit her lower lip, “I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there to protect you.”

“Chie…you couldn’t have-“

“No!  I shouldn’t have gone to the game and let you go home by yourself when there’s possibly a murderer running around!  I would be….I wouldn’t know what to do if something happened to you, Yukiko.”

For the first time since the man confronted her, Yukiko let out a sigh of relief, feeling herself relax.  “Thank you Chie, that really means a lot.”

Hearing Yukiko’s words alleviated some of the constriction in Chie’s chest. “You should get some rest, I imagine you’re tired.”

“Yes, I am a bit worn out.”

“We can talk to Seta and Yosuke tomorrow about it, okay?  Please get some rest.”

“Thank you Chie, good night.

 

 

The next day, Chie sent a text to Yosuke and Souji, asking them to come to Aiya for lunch.  Once the guys entered the restaurant, they noticed Yukiko’s melancholy expression right away.

Souji took a seat across from Yukiko and Yosuke sat beside him, across from Chie.  A chipper girl with short dark hair came over to their table and took their order, bringing them drinks.

“Is everything okay?” Souji asked in a soft tone.  Chie sat beside her friend, holding her hand.

“I’m fine but…I was nearly attacked last night.”

“W-what?  Was it the killer?!” Yosuke leaned forward and looked Yukiko over; she did seem to be okay, just startled.

“I don’t think so.  I was picking up some things for my mother when a man stopped me.  He said some really strange things and he frightened me, so I called for help.  He was chased off but, now that I think about it…I don’t think he wanted to hurt me.”

Chie yanked her hand off of Yukiko’s gesturing in an angry fashion, “You can’t be serious!  He pushed you down and tried to kidnap you!”

“No, that’s just it, Chie…he said he came to warn me.”

“Did he say anything else?” Souji asked with authority, his voice deeper than before.

“Well, yes.  He saw me on the news, saying ‘that’s how he picks his victims,’ and that he could take me someplace safe.”

“Was he talking about the murderer?” Chie asked.

Yosuke twirled the straw in his cup, “It sure sounds like it.” 

“I fell down when I tried to run away and then he was chased away.  I couldn’t see his face, but it was definitely a man.  He sounded a little older, at least in his thirties.”

Chie was perturbed, “If he’s not the killer, then who is he?”

“I’m not sure.” Yukiko looked down nervously.

“Well, he gave us one clue,” Yosuke said after he took a drink, “that the killer is targeting locals shown on the news on tv.  So we should all keep an eye on the news for anyone else featured.  Only woman have been victims so far, but that doesn’t mean he won’t go after men, too.”

“I can also keep an eye on things at the Inn; to see if any of our guests have heard any rumors.”

“That’s a good idea Yukiko!” Chie patted her friend on the shoulder with a smile.

Yosuke slammed his hand onto the center of the table, “Alright, it’s settled, I dub our little group the Special Investigation Unit for Inaba Serial Murders and Kidnappings!” He grinned, seeming proud, but Souji furrowed his brow.

“Wha..?  That’s too long.” Yukiko said with a puzzled look.

“Yeah Yosuke, that’s ridiculous.” Chie chimed in.

“Come on!  Souji…?”  Yosuke looked to his friend for defense.

Souji’s expression soured as he looked away from the near puppy-dogged expression on Yosuke’s face, “It’s a little long.”

Yosuke sighed, “Alright, alright…” he then folded his arms, defeated.  “Well, how about just Investigation Team?”

Yukiko smiled, “I think that’s a much better name, Yosuke-kun!”

“Regardless,” Souji broke the now seemingly normal conversation, watching as a bead of condensation rolled down his cup, “we should all be careful.  Stay on your guard and try not to go out alone.”  His words sobered the small group as they nodded in agreement just before their food arrived.

 

 

Later that evening, Souji and Nanako were watching the news, but there were no new reports on the murders or any new interviews shown.  The door opened and slammed shut, making Nanako lean over to look at the entryway, “It’s Daddy!”

Souji turned to see his uncle with a large stack of paperwork, followed by Adachi who was carrying a bag of food.  “Hey you two.”  Dojima sat at the table, setting the stack of papers down with a thud.  “Souji, this is Detective Tohru Adachi.  Adachi, this is my nephew I told you about.”

“Ah, hi there.” Adachi smiled and nodded, looking a little skittish before he took his seat, placing the bag of food on the table.  Dojima dug into the bag and took out the food containers.

“I’m so glad you came home, Dad!” The girl gave a bright, innocent smile as she began to open the food for everyone.

Dojima smiled softly and patted Nanako on the head, “Me too.  We’re going to be busy for a while, so I’m sorry but we won’t be able to have our annual picnic.”

“It’s okay, I understand.” Nanako’s tone lowered.  She’d mentioned before to Souji that she and Dojima would have a picnic every year during Golden Week, and asked him to make the food for the picnic, but with the recent events, it wasn’t going to happen.

“We had a girl come file a report today after an incident.  We think it might be connected to the murder case,” Dojima said plainly before eating a piece of sushi.

“I think it’s a bit strange.” Adachi started, with Souji looking up from his food, “I mean, the guy supposedly said he wanted to keep her safe, but then he didn’t kidnap her and she says she couldn’t see his face.  It seems like she’s hiding someth-OOF“ Adachi was suddenly hit in the face with a manila-colored file, thrown by Dojima.

“Shut up already.” Dojima said in a gruff tone as he continued to eat.  Souji watched the exchange and simply continued to eat his food.

 

 

The next morning, there was a knock at the door as Souji carried a pile of laundry to the washing machine.  He opened the door to see Chie, wearing a denim skirt with a white shirt and a light green jacket.  “Hey Souji!  Sorry to drop by so suddenly but I was going to head over to Yukiko’s and get her out of the inn for a while.  Do you wanna come with?”

“Hmm…” Souji mumbled as Nanako peeked out from behind him. “Well, I’m watching Nanako today.”

“Oh?” Chie looked at the cute girl.

“Hello.” Nanako said shyly.

“Why don’t you come with us?  We were going to stop by Junes to eat and just hang out.  And you’ll totally have a great time!”

“Really?!” The girl’s eyes lit up as she looked to Souji for a response.  He smiled and nodded, causing her to throw her arms in the air with a jubilant cheer; Chie laughed at her excitement.

After getting ready, Souji hesitated while sliding his phone into his pocket.

“Did you want to call Yosuke?” Chie asked as she stood in the entryway, helping Nanako tie back her hair.

Souji looked up, a little surprised, “You don’t mind?”

“Nah, he’s a bit of a dork sometimes but Yosuke is Yosuke.  And besides, you two really enjoy hanging out together.” Chie grinned as Souji pulled out his phone and called his friend.

Soon, they headed out, stopping by Yosuke’s house to pick him up before heading over to Yukiko’s.  Once their group was together, they headed down to Junes for lunch.

 

 

Not a moment after they entered the food court, did they hear a familiar voice ring out.  “Oh, my!” Teddie came bounding over, overly excited by seeing the cute young girl with Souji and the others.  He took her tiny hand in his and gave it a light kiss. “Hello young lady and what is your name?”

Nanako giggled as her cheeks turned pink, “I’m Nanako Dojima.  What’s your name?”

“ _I_ am Teddie!”

“Hey Ted, how’s it going?” Yosuke asked as he watched the boy coddled Nanako.

“I’m doing well today, thanks for asking!  I hope you all are enjoying Golden Week.”

Souji patted Nanako on the head, “Nanako is my cousin, we all came to hang out and grab a bite to eat today.”

Teddie took the small girl by the hand and led her towards the food stand, “Come on Nanako-chan, let’s get you something yummy to eat!”

“Hehe, okay!”

As the group sat and ate with Teddie, they mention to him about Yukiko’s confrontation with the unknown man.

“That’s terrible Yukiko-chan!  I’m glad you’re not hurt.”

“Thanks for the concern Teddie, but I’m fine.  I’m just glad I could come out today with me friends.” Yukiko gave a cute smile.

“Hey, Teddie,” Yosuke looked up from the table, “do you think you could help us out?  Keep an eye out for anyone suspicious in Junes and let us know if you hear any rumors about the hooded man or the killer, alight?”

“Leave it to me, Yosuke-kun!”

Souji nodded, “Thanks, we appreciate it.”

“So, of all the places you could bring Nanako, you come to Junes?” Yosuke asked as he chewed on his straw.

Souji gave him a sideways glance, causing Yosuke to stop his bad habit, just at the Junes theme played over the loudspeaker and Nanako began to sing along, “Every day’s great at your Junes!  I love coming to Junes, Yosuke-san!”  Nanako looked like she was thinking as she poked at her pudding, her face a little sad, “I wish we could have gone on the picnic with Dad,” she suddenly smiled, “but this is fun too!”

“Were you going to make bento for your picnic Nanako-chan?” Yukiko asked, trying to keep up her cheerful attitude.

Nanako shook her head negatively and pointed to Souji instead.  The girls seemed shocked by this, “You can cook, Souji?” Chie asked, with a wide-eyed expression.

Yosuke quickly answered for him, “You bet he can!  Everything he makes is delicious.”

“Aw, oniichan was going to make food for everyone, how sweet!” Chie said mockingly with a giggle, as Nanako listened to her comment while eating her pudding.  “So Nanako-chan, is your mother a good cook too?” Chie asked.

“I don’t have a mother because she passed away during an accident when I was really small.” Nanako said the striking words so matter-of-factly and the group fell silent.  “It’s okay though, because I still have my dad and now my oniichan!” Her words were cheerful this time and the group seemed to simultaneously begin to giggle as Souji smiled at his cousin.

Once they were done eating, Teddie headed back to work and the group perused Junes, picking up a few things.  Afterwards, they took Nanako to a local playground.  Nanako pushed Yukiko in a swing, as Chie and Yosuke stood with Souji atop a small hill.

Chie turned to Souji, her expression apologetic, “Sorry I asked about Nanako’s mother earlier, I didn’t know.”

“It’s alright.  She died in a car accident several years ago; the case wasn’t solved, so it’s hard on them sometimes.”

“She’s a really strong kid.” Yosuke added, as Chie nodded in agreement. “Hey Nanako, you want to be pushed now?” Yosuke yelled out as he walked down the hill.

“Yes!” Nanako smiled as she answered him. 

Yosuke took her hand, leading her over to a swing. “Hang on tight now,” Yosuke lightly pushed Nanako in the swing.  Yukiko kept up her swinging with Nanako, the two giggling as they went higher.  Chie looked over and noticed Souji’s gentle smile as he watched them play.

“You’re pretty taken with him, aren’t you?”

Souji continued to stare at the scene as he replied, “I suppose I am.”

Chie stifled her giggle by covering her mouth, “It’s kinda cute.  Yosuke’s a nice guy, but he doesn’t have many friends.” Chie stepped a little closer to Souji, “I think he likes you too,” she added, in almost a whisper.  Souji stiffened and blinked as he looked over at her.  “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.” Chie smiled and then ran down the hill, over to Yukiko.  Souji let out an amused hummed as he watched Yosuke laughing with Nanako.

“Oniichan, I’m up really high now!” Nanako laughed and wiggled her fingers at Souji, as she was still holding onto the chain.  Souji smiled and waved back to her, as he walked down the hill to join them.  

At that exact moment, Kunsaki Pet Inn’s manager and owner, Aya Kunsaki, was featured in an interview on the news.

 

 

A few hours later, the group separated, and Souji and Nanako went back home.  They prepared a bento for Dojima to eat later and packed it into the refrigerator.  As they sat down to watch the evening news, Souji paid close attention to the broadcast and was surprised when he saw the face of his manager being featured.

His eyes widened as he listened to the interview, headed by the same slimy reporter as before. “So, you’re the owner of Kunsaki Pet Inn, isn’t that right?”

“Yes, I am.”

“One of the murder victims, Saki Konishi, worked for you.  Could you tell us a little bit about her?”  The reporter was less invasive this time; he’d likely been berated by his boss from Yukiko lashing out at him.

“Miss Konishi was a very nice girl and she always worked hard.  We miss her at work and our thoughts are with her family and friends.”

Souji’s phone vibrated, he looked at the display and noticed the call was from Yosuke.  He must have seen the segment as well, “Yosuke.”

“I know, I just turned it on.”  The two sat on the phone quietly, listening to the interview.

“Mmhmm, can you tell us anything about her in the days before she died?  Was she seeing anyone?  Was she acting strange?”

Suddenly, there was a noise on the other end of the line, “Oh no…Souji!”

“What is it?’

“The interviews are normally live, but look at the time!”

Souji looked back to the screen; the sky behind Aya was blue and the ‘Live’ text was missing from the screen, replaced by the time of 2:48 pm.  Souji quickly stood up, “Souji, this was already shown earlier today!”

Before another word could be said, Souji ran for the door and clumsily put on his shoes, Nanako looked startled, “Oniichan..?”

“Nanako, it’s an emergency, I have to go!  Lock the door and don’t open it for anyone you don’t know!” Souji bolted out the door and ran down the street, “Yosuke, I’m headed there now!” he snapped the phone shut.  A few streets up, Yosuke intercepted him and they ran together. 

Yosuke’s phone rang along the way. “Chie…we saw it and….we’re headed over there…right now!” Yosuke barely managed to blurt out while huffing for air. “I’ll call you back!” he hung up the call and clenched his phone as the two ran as quickly as they could, hoping to get there in time.

 

 

“Hey, was there anything in particular you wanted for dinner?” Aya leaned on the counter, propping her chin up with her palm.  She shot a beautiful smile to Subaru, who was emptying a trash can.  Her dark eyes were piercing and her hair framed her face perfectly.  She smiled in an almost-coy but flirty fashion.  Subaru glanced up at ogled her for a moment.  He was tall, the tallest of all the employees, with green eyes and dark, stylish hair.  His skin was nearly flawless and he had a killer smile, to boot.

He looked surprised; she had never offered to cook for him before.  He stood up and leaned on the counter in front of her, “So by the third date you’re offering to make me home-cooked meals? At _your_ apartment?  I like where this is going…” He leaned in and placed a light kiss on her jaw, knocking over the stack of papers she’d been filing.

“I told you not to do that at work, now look what you’ve done.” She laughed and pointed to the papers, grinning. “Now clean up the mess you made!”

He stuck his nose in the air and with a mocking tone, said, “Yes ma’am,” before crouching and collecting the paperwork.  “Though, I’ve gotta say…you inviting me over to your place and offering to make a home-cooked meal for me, I must be doing something right.  Are you sure you won’t poison me?  When was the last time you cooked?”

“Are you kidding?  I cook almost every day!” She put a hand on her hip, in a huff, puffing her cheeks out.  Every time she made that face, Subaru nearly lost it; it was like an Aya-puffer fish.

“I’ve seen you eating almost nothing but Junes bento for lunch every day!”

“I-I do not!”

Subaru stood up, placing the papers back on the counter as he picked up the trash bag. He leaned in near her face and pointed to the trash bag; Junes bento wrappings were visible through the thin white plastic.  “And you know, that face is really adorable” Subaru smirked.  If anything, he was a smart ass.

“Oh, shut up.” Aya snatched the bag from him.

“Don’t need me to do the dirty work for you anymore?”

She marched around the corner, “I can do that myself!”  Just before she got to the back door, she stopped and yelled out, “And just for that, you’re not getting any of the awesome mochi I made for dessert!”

“M-mochi?!”

“Nada.”

“Aww, come on!”

The door slammed shut behind her.  She walked across the back porch, over to the trash can and lifted its lid, harshly cramming the garbage bag inside.  _‘Are you sure you won’t poison me?’ Pssh, I might NOW._ Aya slammed the lid closed and giggled. _But I like him a lot…I guess I’ll let it slide._   As she turned to go back inside, she noticed a shadow a few feet away from her; it was near the break in the fence.  She stopped moving, her knees locking, as she realized the shadow was a person, slowly steeping towards her.

The man steps into the dim light, a hooded jacket hiding his face, “Are you Aya Kunsaki?”

Too close, he was too close for her level of creepy-guy-in-my-business’s-backyard comfort zone.  She stepped back and reached her hand for the doorknob, waving it blindly in the air, not realizing she was still several feet away from the door.

_He knows my name?!  How did he get back here?  They still haven’t caught Saki’s killer right?  OH GOD, is this him?!?!_

The man lurched forward and took hold of her wrist.  Aya instinctively screamed, almost before he had even grabbed her.  It was a piercing, frightened yell; like that of a wild animal about to be eaten by its predator.

“Miss Kunsaki, I-“

Before the man could finish, Subaru had busted through the back door.  His eyes locked onto the man’s hand grasping Aya’s wrist, the horrified look in her eyes as she turned her head toward him instantly caused him to snap.  Subaru lunged forward quickly, forcing his hand onto the man’s wrist, breaking Aya free and then immediately thrust his elbow into the man’s chest, sending him staggering backwards.  Subaru moved in front of Aya, pushing her back with one hand.  The hooded man quickly made his escape back through the hole in the fence before Subaru could make another move.  Hearing the man’s evading footsteps fade; Aya slumped to the ground, her face void of color.

 

 

A few minutes later, Yosuke and Souji arrived, using Yosuke’s key to get inside the building, as it was already passed closing time.

“Aya!” Yosuke called out as they came in the door, with Souji relocking it behind them.  There was paperwork on the lobby counter, with the PC monitor still turned on, “They must still be here…”  Yosuke jogged ahead a few steps before Souji halted him, grabbing his arm.  “What gives?” he looked back to his friend.

“It looks like Aya got interrupted; the man Yukiko mentioned could still be here.  We need to be careful.”

“Ah, right…”

Souji moved to the front desk, opening a drawer and removing a box cutter.  He then took the lead, the two of them quietly making their way through the darkened, empty facility.  A small scuffling was heard and Souji put his hand up, causing Yosuke to bump into him. Souji pointed to the break room and the brunet nodded, the two of them tip-toeing forward.  Souji kept the box cutter near his side as Yosuke stood against the door with the doorknob in his hand.  He held up his fingers; three, two, one…

Yosuke swung the break room door open fiercely as Souji stepped forward, box cutter in-hand.  The door swung so hard, Subaru and Aya’s hair flew in the breeze it created.  Aya nearly jumped out of her chair and Subaru had already moved in front of her, wielding a baseball bat.

“Souji?  Yosuke?” Subaru let down his stance and rested the bat’s tip on the floor, “What the hell are you two doing here?”

It suddenly occurred to the two teens that they hadn’t come up with a valid excuse for showing up so randomly.  But Souji was quick, “We were hanging out and forgot to come check the schedule for Golden Week.”  Yosuke was surprised and shot him a ‘good job, dude!’ look.

“What’s with the box cutter?” Subaru cocked his head to the side.

Yosuke stepped forward, “The, um, doors were locked so we thought the place was empty but we heard noises in here.  That killer is still out there, so…” Yosuke hoped his delivery wasn’t overly bad.

“O-oh, the schedule is over there.” Aya gingerly pointed to the bulletin board on the wall.  Yosuke noticed her hand tremble slightly.

“…Are you guys okay?” Souji retracted the blade on the box cutter, setting it on the table.

Subaru put the bat on the table and sat back down, “Yeah, we’re both fine but the police are headed here.”  Souji and Yosuke’s hairs stood on end, “Some guy tried to attack Aya, out back.”

“What?  Are you serious??  You’re not hurt, are you?” Yosuke blurted the words out quickly, moving in front of Aya, looking her over.

“I’m fine, really, Yosuke.  I was taking out some trash and there was suddenly some weird guy.  He grabbed my wrist and then Subaru stopped him and he ran away.”

Yosuke and Souji let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.  Souji smiled, “I’m glad you’re both safe.”

The two sat and talked with Subaru and Aya for a moment, her body becoming more and more relaxed.  Before long, there was a heavy knocking at the front doors of the building, echoing through the hallway.

“That must be the police.”  Subaru got up and opened the break room door.

“I’ll go with you, just in case.” Souji said as Subaru nodded and the two headed to the front.  A soon as they entered the lobby, they could see flashing blue and red lights through the frosted glass of the door, causing Subaru to let out a sigh of relief.

As they answered the door, they were greeted by Dojima and Adachi.  The look on Dojima’s face told Souji he was confused and upset by Souji’s being there when he wasn’t actually working. 

They made their way into the break room and spoke with Subaru and Aya about what happened, with Adachi taking notes as they spoke.  Then, Dojima turned to Souji and Yosuke, standing off to the side.

“And what may I ask were you two doing here?”

“Oh, Detective Dojima, it’s okay.” Aya said, interrupting her talk with Adachi. “I had forgotten to print off their copies of the schedule, so they were coming to check it out.  It’s Golden Week, you know.” She smiled, her nervousness still showing through.

Dojima turned back to the boys, his expression a little more gentle now, “At this time of night?”

“Um, sorry Dojima-san, it’s my fault.  We were talking on the phone when we realized we didn’t know when we worked next.  I asked Souji to come with me.”

Dojima sighed, “Alright, since you two didn’t see anything you can go home.”

“Yes sir.” Souji said as he and Yosuke quickly skittered out the door, both heaving out a much-needed exhale after they left the building. 

“Man, that was close.  I totally didn’t think about having an excuse.  Good thinking, partner!”

“I just said the first thing that came to mind.” 

 

 

The two of them began slowing walking back home, with Yosuke sending a text to Chie.  “Aaand sent.” Yosuke clicked the send button on his phone.  “I’m really glad Aya and Subaru were alright.  Though, I guess we were right about people on the news being targeted.”

“I’m glad too.  Though, Subaru had a good stance with that pipe; I think he’s taken kendo before, so I’m sure he could have protected her.”

“Yeah, he’s a really cool guy.  He used to live in Okina but was originally from here and moved back when his mom got sick.”  They paused on the street corner, which led down to Yosuke’s house.  “Well, I’ll see you later.”  Yosuke waved and turned to head down the road.

“Hey.”  Yosuke glanced over his shoulder just as Souji had already moved to his side. “I’ll go with you, that guy is still out there.”

“Dude, it’s only been women so far.  Besides, my house isn’t _that_ far.  Do you think I’m that incapable of taking care of myself?” 

“Just humor me.” 

At first, Yosuke acted as if he didn’t want the company, in some failed attempt to assert his masculinity and prove to his friend that he could take out an attacker, if one happened upon him…he was, in all actuality, happy that Souji decided to walk him all the way home.  Was it only because this was Souji?  Or was it also because of the lingering feelings growing inside that he couldn’t quite explain?  Yosuke shook off the creeping notions and smiled, all the same.

Souji walked Yosuke to his door, with Yosuke spinning around on the door step, “See, told you.  Not a single would-be killer in sight!” he grinned, pleased with his assumption that his walk home would be uneventful.

Souji shifted on his hip, “It’s only because I was here.”

“You’re so full of it.” Yosuke snickered.  He began to fidget with his keys, now looking a bit nervous.  “But hey, now you have to walk back by yourself.  That’s not fair; I want to make sure you’re okay too.”

“Hmm,” Souji dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, “I can call you when I get in.”

“No way dude, you could get abducted on the way there and I wouldn’t know where.”  ‘ _Maybe you should stay here tonight.’_ was what Yosuke wanted to ask.  “You have to talk to me on the phone the entire way.  No arguing.”

Souji sighed, this was the only way he could appease Yosuke, so he dialed his phone right in front of him.  Yosuke’s phone rang and he grinned, picking it up.  “Are you happy now?” Souji said into the receiver.

“Hehe, yep.” Yosuke’s ridiculous grin faded, “Be careful on the way back.”

Souji waved, turning to leave, as Yosuke stepped inside his house, locking the door behind him.

“Geez, you’re not even going to say ‘Alright’, or ‘Shut up Yosuke’, or ‘Don’t worry about me’?  Oh, hey, since it’s Golden Week, do you already have any plans?”

“I have a few plans, yes.”

“Oh yeah?  What are you up to?”

“Yukiko asked if I could run errands for the inn with her, Chie wants me to help her with training and I have to watch Nanako a few times.  Why?”

“Oh, you sound kinda busy then.” Souji could tell Yosuke had taken a more meager, gentle tone.  Just then, he heard a faint meow in the background, “Kane says hi.”

“Scratch him beside his right ear for me.”

“Um, okay?”  Yosuke did as he was told and Souji soon heard a loud purr over the line, “Whoa dude, seriously?  He’s my cat and you already know his good spots!”

“Of course.  Anyways, I’m not too busy to hang out with you Yosuke.  I actually didn’t have any plans, except for Nanako’s, until yesterday.”

“I mean, then…i-if you’re not too busy?”

Without changing his tone, “I’m completely, totally swamped.  I couldn’t possibly have a single moment for my best friend.”

“…You’re an ass,” Yosuke chuckled.

“Only when you say stupid things.”

“It wasn’t stupid, I was just being considerate!  I don’t want you to feel, ya know, forced to hang out with me.  You’re a nice guy, so I bet you have a hard time turning people down.”

“So you _don’t_ want to hang out with me?” Souji asked, mockingly.

“Fine, fine.  I ordered a new album and it just got here yesterday, you should come over and check it out.  Oh, and I got a few new movies too; it’s the first two in a series of those American horror films that are really popular.  You can stay the night…o-or not, whatever.  It’s up to you.” Yosuke stuttered over his final words, smacking himself in the forehead with his palm. _Because THAT didn’t sound gay or anything…_

“Sure, it sounds like a good time.”

“Cool, just call me when you’re not doing something.”

“I will.”

There was a pause in their conversation, just as Souji reached the front door to the Dojima residence.  Yosuke heard him locking the door and decided to pipe up, “So, were there any super creepy, hoodie-wearing guys waiting in the bushes to jump you and you’re just not telling me?”

“Shut up, Yosuke.”


	6. Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During Golden Week, Souji takes advantage of an opportunity but only feels regret. As Yosuke's affection for Souji grows, so does the denial of his feelings and he soon comes face-to-face with himself.

Golden Week went by faster than expected.  On Monday, Souji watched after Nanako and helped Chie with her martial arts training before he went to work.  Tuesday, he did some cleaning around the house and watched over Nanako, as she had a friend staying over; Dojima had only come home briefly in the middle of the night but was gone the next morning.  Wednesday, Souji managed to help Yukiko pick up supplies for the inn.  Thinking it would only take a few hours, he intended to send Yosuke a text, asking to hang out like they’d planned…but the ordeal took him the entire afternoon, up until nearly dinner time.  He went home, made dinner and helped Nanako sort out some things to take to her friend’s house the next day.  When Thursday rolled around, he got a call from Daisuke, early in the morning, asking him to be his exercise buddy for the day; apparently Kou was out of town for Golden Week and he needed someone to help him lift weights, time his laps….Souji lost track of everything Daisuke asked but agreed to help him, since he’d hardly spent time with him outside of school.  Chie joined them in the joint-exercise escapade, though Souji seemed too preoccupied to give it his all. 

Several hours later, Souji sluggishly made it home.  He decided that would probably be the last time he joined Daisuke for working out; he was beat.  He then took Nanako over to her friend’s house, where she’d stay for a few days.  When Souji got back home, he made something to eat, noticing Dojima hadn’t been home since Tuesday.  Just barely past dusk, Souji flopped down onto his couch, face-down.  Before nearly falling asleep, his phone began to buzz.  He flipped it open to see a text from Yosuke, asking if he still wanted to get together.  Souji felt torn and frowned; he really wanted to see Yosuke, he hadn’t since Sunday, but he was physically worn out and could hardly move.  He replied back that he was tired, but said he’d call tomorrow.  Yosuke sent back a short reply with a smiley face, but Souji knew he was disappointed.

Friday morning, Souji was woken up early by a call from Dojima, asking to bring him a change of clothes and a file he’d forgotten.  Souji took the opportunity to pack Dojima and Adachi a bento as well; they’d probably hardly eaten while working.  After gathering Dojima’s things, he headed down to the police station and dropped them off.  Dojima seemed pleasantly surprised by the bento and had to hold off Adachi from taking it right away.  On his way back, he sent Yosuke a text, asking if he was awake yet.  Not getting a response, Souji went home and took a shower.  After throwing some clothes in the wash, his phone buzzed; Yosuke had finally replied back; apparently, he stayed up late watching a movie marathon and was just now waking up.  Realizing his friend hadn’t eaten yet, Souji made a large bento, packed a small overnight bag and headed over to Yosuke’s.

 

 

_Knock, knock, knock_

Yosuke groggily stumbled downstairs and opened the door, pleasantly surprised to see Souji.

“Dude, I didn’t know you were going to come over so early.”

“It’s 1:00 in the afternoon.”

Yosuke stepped aside, letting Souji in. “Oh man,” he yawned and scratched his side, “is it really?”

“Really.”  Souji slid off his shoes, just as Kane bounded down the stairs.  “Hey, you.” Souji handed a bag to Yosuke and picked up Kane, who put his paws on Souji’s chin.

Yosuke looked puzzled as he lifted the bag, trying to see its contents, “What’s this?”

“Go open it.”

Yosuke arched his brow and carried the plastic bag over to the table, setting it down.  Upon opening it, he cheered.  “You brought food, too?  You’re the best friend ever!”

“You said you were hungry, so I figured it would be a nice gesture.”

“You want to eat now?” Yosuke grinned, bag in-hand.

Souji smiled at Yosuke’s honest reactions, “Sure, I’m pretty hungry myself.”

Setting Kane back down, Souji moved to the table as Yosuke unpacked the bento.  Once they sat down, Kane hopped up into Yosuke’s lap.  He just patted the kitten on its head and proceeded to start eating.  Souji smirked and stared as Yosuke looked up at him, mid-chew and blushed, “W-what are you looking at?”

“You say I know all his spots but you’ve spoiled him rotten.”

Yosuke choked down the bite before reaching into his food and tearing off a small piece of fish. “Hey, check this out.”  He grabbed Kane from his lap and sat him on the floor, rotating in his chair; Souji leaned over to the side to get a good view.  “Kane, sit.” 

The kitten scratched its ear instead and Yosuke grimaced while Souji snickered lightly.  “Great job, he’s wonderfully trained.”

“Shut up, you.”  Yosuke dangled the fish out and pointed down with his index finger.  “Kane, _sit_.”  His tone more firm this time, the kitten, surprisingly, did as it was told and sat, its eyes now fixated on the fish.  Yosuke then upturned his palm, swiping his fingers upward, “Up.”  Kane then sat back on his hind legs and stood a little, slightly unbalanced and wobbling.  Yosuke smiled and fed him the piece of fish, “Good kitty.”  He scratched the kitten between the ears as Souji stared, amazed with his firm tone and commands.  Yosuke turned back in his chair and noticed Souji’s expression.

“That was pretty cool Yosuke, where’d you learn how to train him?”

“I found some videos online.  I read it’s best to start while he’s little, so I decided I might as well begin now.”

“Yeah, it’s best to start while he’s so young.  It’s different for a dog, but I’ve seen cats trained to do amazing things.

“You sit around and watch cat videos online don’t you?”

“…I don’t.”

“Liar.” Yosuke smirked as Souji threw a sliced carrot at him.

 

 

After eating and helping Yosuke with the dishes, the two went upstairs and Yosuke got out his mp3 player, unplugging his regular headphones. 

“Do you mind if I read while we listen?  I’m near the end of this book…” Souji pulled a blue book from his bag and flashed it at Yosuke.

“Sure, I wanted to catch up on a manga anyway.”

Souji took his glasses from their case, tossing the case back onto his bag as he put them on.  He then lay on his stomach, flipping the book open and setting his bookmark aside.  Yosuke eyed Souji as he put on his glasses.  He wouldn’t admit it, but he actually rather liked them on Souji; they framed his face well and made him look more dignified, if that was possible.  He opened a plastic package and pulled out a new pair of ear buds, plugging them into the mp3 player.  He knelt next to Souji and reached over his back, grabbing a small stack of mangas and a box of pocky from the nearby table.  Souji nearly flinched at the sudden but light brush of Yosuke’s arm as he reached at the table, but composed himself with a long breath.

“Here ya go, partner.  I bought these because they’re easier for two people to use.” He handed one of the ear buds to Souji, as he sat down and reclined back, his head resting on Souji’s lower back.

“Ah, thanks.”  The two both put in their ear buds as Yosuke selected the new album on his mp3 player, tossing the box of pocky aside.

The brunet picked up a manga and flipped it open.  “It’s kind of mellow but there are some more upbeat songs later.”

“Alright.”

Despite the album repeating and Souji’s increasing need to use the bath room, they both stayed that way for several hours.  Occasionally, Yosuke would move his head, almost as if he was nuzzling onto Souji’s back; it made the silver-haired teen smile to himself, regardless of if the move was intentional or not.  Neither wanted to move and disturb the other, so they refrained from getting up; just listening to music and enjoyed each other’s company.  Unfortunately, neither of them got much reading done because Kane would wander over at random intervals, craving their attention.

Yosuke laid the manga on his stomach as he reared back, stretching his arms above his head.  “I’m done with these, how’s the book going?”  Souji handed him the ear bud and Yosuke got up, setting the mp3 player on his desk.

“I still have a few chapters to go, but it can wait.” He set the bookmark in place and clapped the book shut before setting it back in his bag, Kane patting at the bag’s zipper pull.  Souji grabbed the cat and fell onto his back, sitting Kane on his chest.

Yosuke approached his door, “I’m going to grab some water, you thirsty?”

“Sure, I’ll take some water.”

When Yosuke came back, he dropped the bottle of water next to Souji before grabbing the box of pocky.  Reaching inside, his fingers felt nothing but plastic wrapper, “Aw, they’re all gone.”  Looking over, he saw that Souji had a stick of pocky held in his mouth.  Without a word, Yosuke leaned down and bit the stick of pocky in half, surprising Souji.  Yosuke lingered for a moment, making Souji’s heart flutter lightly.  The inquisitive look he gave from behind his glasses made Yosuke feel compelled to reply, “Don’t look at me like that, it was the last one!”

Souji smirked and said, “You’re being awfully flirty today,” before eating the remainder of his biscuit-stick.

Yosuke almost choked at the response, “I-I am not!” He threw the empty box into the trash bin and glared at Souji taking off his glasses, but was distracted.  Souji had been wearing a dark blue, long-sleeved v-neck shirt with a white, straight-necked undershirt that was just low enough to expose Souji’s collarbones.  Yosuke stared briefly before turning away.  “A-anyways, did you want to grab a bite to eat?”

 

 

The two decided to eat at Aiya’s but opted not to get delivery because the weather was so nice.  After dinner, they walked along the main road back to Yosuke’s, the orange tint of the setting sun washing over them as cicadas chirped loudly.

“By the way, since I have to pick up Nanako from her friend’s house tomorrow around noon, did you want to come back to my place?”

Yosuke walked with his arms stretched behind his head as he looked over, “Hmm?”

Souji peered at the ground for a moment, “I feel like I’ve been neglecting you a little this holiday.  I meant for us to hang out sooner, but things kept popping up.  I’m really sorry for making you wait on me.”

“Psh, dude it’s alright, I know you get busy.  I can’t very well monopolize you all the time or your fan girls might try to kill me.” The brunet grinned cheerfully with a wink, making Souji feet a bit better.

“I don’t have fan girls.”

“Are you serious, dude?  They’re always swarming nearby, constantly.  You should pay attention to it for once.  I mean, haven’t you already gotten confessions?  I saw letters falling out of your shoe locker the other day.”

Now that he thought about it, there did always seem to be someone staring at him, someone nearby.  There had been two girls and one boy that confessed to liking him, but he turned down their advances.  He assumed the few letters he’d received were from the same people.  “There have been a few.”

“DUDE!  You’ve only been here a few months, you‘ve got all the luck.” Yosuke seemed a bit sullen, but his words betrayed how he’d been feeling. 

 _I could care less for that kind of luck._   “Do you want me to send them your way?” Souji joked, hoping his friend wouldn’t agree.

Without looking, Yosuke responded quickly, “Nah, I was only kidding.  I mean sure, the chicks here are surprisingly cute for a town in the boonies, but...” he hesitated, “I’m not really interested in any of them lately.”  There was a slight halt in their conversation, as Yosuke thought he saw Souji exhale, looking less tense.  “But yeah, I’ll take you up on that previous offer.  It’ll be nice to see Nanako-chan too!”

The silver-haired teen smiled, “I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you too.”

 

 

Once they got back to Yosuke’s house, Souji noticed a silver car in the driveway; he glanced at it a moment, then to Yosuke.

“Wow, they’re home for a change.  Figures it’d be when I had you over.”  There was a hint of detest in his voice as they made their way to the front door.  Yosuke stopped, his hand on the door knob, “So um, listen…my parents are a little, well…” he trailed off again, biting his lip, “my father is overbearing, protective and thinks he’s always right.  And my mom is the type that always worries and forces her opinions on everyone.  They tend to stick their nose into everyone’s business, so they’re probably about to ask you a million questions like it’s an interrogation.  If we just ignore them though, they’ll pester us all night.  I’ll get us upstairs as soon as I can give them an excuse.”

“It’s okay.  They’re not home often, right?  They probably just act that way because they miss out on seeing you so much.”

“Right…” Yosuke said it with such cynicism that Souji wondered if he was wrong in his assumption.  The brunet opened the door and, almost immediately, his mother called out.

“Yosuke, is that you?”

“Hey, mom.  You’re home early, is Dad here too?”  Yosuke gave an eye roll to Souji as he answered her, while sliding his shoes off.

“Yes, the District Manager had a good visit at the store, so he left early.  Your father is upstairs.” A woman, slightly shorter than Yosuke, walked out from the kitchen.  She had long, slightly wavy medium brown hair, partially pulled up.  A bit dainty, she had a small, thin frame, a pretty face and the same light brown eyes as Yosuke.  “I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks!” she walked over and brushed down a stray hair on Yosuke’s head, causing him to fidget, before she kissed his cheek.  The small woman then noticed Souji and looked surprised to see that someone was with her son, “Oh, who is this?”

Souji stepped out from behind Yosuke and then extended his hand, the mother quickly shaking it, “I’m a classmate and coworker of Yosuke’s, my name is Souji Seta.  It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“So, this is Seta?”  A deeper voice came from the hallway as a man walked over, obviously Yosuke’s father.  The man had dark hair with a hint of gray at the temples, dark eyes, and an average build with slightly broad shoulders. Yosuke obviously took more after his mother, physically speaking.

“Oh, yes sir, I’m Souji Seta.  It’s nice to meet you.” Souji extended his hand to the father, Yosuke looking exceedingly tense.  The man looked Souji up and down, sizing up his son’s new friend with a stern expression.

“Yosuke’s told us a lot about you.” The handshake was quite firm, probably more so than it needed to be, from Souji’s judgment. “I hear you’re Detective Dojima’s nephew?”

“Yes sir, I’m staying with him for the school year because my parents are going through a divorce.”

Yosuke’s eyes darted back and forth at their exchange, waiting for the moment when his father would ask something inappropriate.  “Oh, that’s too bad Seta.” Yosuke’s mother interjected, a slight frown on her face.

“It’s okay; it’s what’s best for them.”

The father’s voice boomed a little, “If you’re really okay with it, then why are you staying with your uncle?”

“Dad!”

“What?  I’m just asking a question.”

Souji carefully snuck his hand beside Yosuke’s and grazed it, to catch his attention.  And it did, but also causing his friend to twitch a little, his cheeks turning pink. “It’s fine Yosuke, I’m a guest in his house, after all.” Souji now realized what Yosuke had meant before, about his father being overbearing. “Actually, sir, my father isn’t taking the divorce well and he’s been acting erratically.  He started taking his frustration out on me and my mother, so Dojima-san offered to let me stay with him for a while.”

Yosuke’s father seemed pleased with the concise response, “I see.  Sorry to hear about your troubles.  So, how do you like it here in Inaba?”

“It’s different from Tokyo, but Inaba is actually pretty nice.” Souji’s arm lightly brushed against Yosuke’s, as he glanced in his direction. ”I’ve found a lot of surprising things here that I wasn’t expecting.”

The man’s brow subtly twitched at this boy’s closeness to his son.  Yosuke noticed the changing expression on his father’s face; he was about to get personal again.  “Yosuke was fairly displeased when we moved here but it seems he’s enjoying himself more, now that he has a friend.  Yosuke mentioned you two see each other a lot, though a handsome young man like yourself, I would expect to have a girlfriend.” 

The conversation was headed down an unsavory path and Yosuke knew what his father was trying to get at.  The brunet let out a disgruntled sound at his father’s statement, hoping his mother would interject.

Unexpected to Yosuke, Souji actually replied.  “I’ve had a few people ask but I’m not really interested in having a girlfriend right now; I’ve been more preoccupied with studies and work.”

The father shrugged, his coercion having been cut off by Souji’s textbook answer, “Two teenage boys spending all of their time together might cause some misunderstandings.” The man’s dark eyes cut deep when they met with Souji’s.

Quickly, Yosuke intervened, bringing the tense conversation to a halt, “That’s great dad, but we’re wanting to watch a movie so…come on, Souji.” Yosuke grabbed Souji by the arm and began to drag him up the stairs. 

Souji turned and waved back to Yosuke’s parents, “It was nice to meet you.” They waved back until Souji was out of view and Yosuke’s bedroom door slammed shut.

“They’re already on a first-name basis,” his father frowned as he headed into the kitchen.

“Why were you giving that boy such a hard time?  He seems very sweet, especially from what Yosuke has mentioned.”

Yosuke’s father took some cans from a bag and began putting them in the cabinet, just shy of slamming them down, “You remember what happened before; he was nice too.”  Yosuke’s mother grew silent, as she moved to her husband’s side and took a few things from the bag, putting them away.  “I’m just worried about his relationship with our son.”

“You should trust in Yosuke a little more.  He hasn’t made friends easily since we moved, especially with other boys; you know he’s hesitant about it.”

“Regardless, I don’t like it.”

 

 

After Yosuke slammed his door shut behind them, he dropped Souji’s arm, staring at the ground, “I’m sorry you had to deal with that.  That’s what I was trying to warn you about.”

Souji patted Yosuke on the shoulder, “It’s alright.”

“Yeah, but my Dad can be a real asshole sometimes.  Anyways, thanks for being so polite around them.  You’re a really smooth-talker, you know that partner?”

“They seem like the type to appreciate good manners.  Oh, did you tell them about Kane yet?”

“Yep.  They were pretty pissed since I took him in without asking, but once they saw how cute he is, they warmed up to him.  Then I showed them how we cleaned up my room and moved the furniture; they seemed really surprised, actually.  They didn’t get on my case after that; they just said Kane has to stay in my room.”

Souji was glad to hear it; having not met Yosuke’s parents until just now, he was unsure of how they would react.  “That’s great to hear.”

“S-so, did you want to watch the movies I mentioned?”

“Yeah, you seemed excited about them.  You said they were horror films?”

“Yeah, it’s a really popular American horror film series.  I think there are seven of them now, but I heard they’re not really worth watching after the third movie.  The American market is crazy about doing multiple sequels but they always end up being crap.” Yosuke grabbed the first DVD from the tv stand, removing the disc and tossing the case to Souji.  Souji glanced it over, managing through the simple English on the case as Yosuke put the disc in the DVD player.  The brunet stood up, as Souji handed him the case back. “Oh, the audio is in English but there are Japanese subtitles.”  Yosuke grabbed a futon from the closet, tossing it to Souji before grabbing a second futon.  Unsurprisingly, Souji caught the futon in perfect form, not a hair out of place on his head. 

Yosuke smirked and kicked the other futon over, grabbing a bundle of pillows and blankets.  Kane pounced on top of the kicked futon, attacking a loose string.  The two laid out their futons and stacked up the pillows, the DVD previews playing in the background.  Yosuke and Souji settled in and watched the entire first movie without interruption.  Souji was surprised by the decent acting and plot while Yosuke laughed about one of the character’s making classic horror-movie mistakes.  Despite the second movie being decent, it wasn’t as intriguing as the first and about halfway through the second film, Yosuke found his attention waning.  Kane sat in Souji’s lap, lightly purring as he scratched the kitten’s head while watching the screen.  Yosuke stared at his friend, the white-wash from the tv’s illumination lighting up his features.  The brunet then noticed Souji’s exposed collar bones again and suddenly, his mouth felt very dry.  He swallowed hard just before standing up.

“I’m going to go grab us something to drink, be right back.”

Souji looked over as Yosuke had approached the door, “Do you want me to pause it?” 

Yosuke waved back over his shoulder, “Nah, it’s okay.”

Upon his return, Yosuke’s brow furrowed as he handed the canned drink to Souji; Kane had curled up and was sleeping where Yosuke had been sitting.  Souji was still sitting with a pillow wedged between his back and the bookshelf with his legs laid out in front of him, knees bent.  Souji took the soda from Yosuke’s hand and then grabbed a pillow, placing it between his legs.  He patted the pillow with a smile.

Yosuke’s cheeks burned slightly, “W-what, you want me to sit with you?”

“Is that not okay?”

 _As blunt as ever, I see._ “Uh, no, it’s fine.”  The brunet grabbed the pillow from between Souji’s legs and pushed it against his friend’s chest, as he sat down.  He nervously eyed Souji’s bent legs on either side of him, “But um, are you gonna be able to see over me?”

“It’s fine, just lay down.”  Souji’s eyes were locked on the screen as he lightly pushed on Yosuke’s shoulders, causing him to slide down.

 _D-dude, just calm down, this is nothing.  He’s just being nice.  This isn’t gay, this isn’t gay, this isn’t gay…_ “Um, a-alright.”  Yosuke wiggled, reclining his head onto the pillow lying on Souji’s chest. 

“See?  It’s fine.”

And it was.  After just a few moments, Yosuke found his nervousness fading, relaxing onto his friend.  Even though there was a pillow between them, he could feel the heat from Souji’s chest and hear his heart beating through the cottony buffer, almost echoing through Yosuke’s ears; his slight scent, the warmth surrounding him, those soft breaths directly above his head, feeling his chest rise and fall…the longer it went on, the hotter Yosuke’s face felt. 

So easily could he reach up and touch the side of Souji’s face; turn over and kiss the soft skin under his jaw.  So easily could he grip onto that silvery hair, pulling his face down to meet his own and press their lips together.  Yosuke’s fingers twitched at the thought.  It wasn’t the first time he’d thought about his friend in this way and his feelings began to get muddled in the thoughts.  Would he push him away?  Would he object?  Would he be indifferent?  Would he embrace him back?  Yosuke’s arm jumped and slightly brushed against the side of Souji’s leg.  Roll over, push him against the bookshelf, force your lips together, kiss him with desperation and hope for the best?  Could he really do that?  What if he hated it and hit him?  What if he took in a sharp breath and moaned?  The heat had fully covered his face now; his entire body felt warm and he was sure Souji would notice before long.

He had to change this line of thought.  Yosuke squirmed a bit, sliding himself downward more, his head coming to rest in Souji’s lap instead.  This was better; no more heart beats and soft breaths directly above his head.  Now, there was only warmth and his scent. 

As the ending credit began to roll, Souji stretched, “I think I liked the first one more.”  With no response, he glanced down to notice Yosuke sleeping peacefully.  Souji laughed inwardly, _You really like to fall asleep around me, don’t you?_ Souji carefully moved from around his friend and then lifted him just a bit, putting him to rest on the futon; holding him up, he laid down a pillow.  Just as he was reclining Yosuke back, Souji stopped, his train of thought returning as he stared at the slight part in Yosuke’s lips. 

 _That’s probably a dangerous habit._  

Cradling Yosuke’s neck, Souji leaned forward, bringing their lips together without hesitation.  Surprisingly soft; a faint hint of saliva from Yosuke’s parted mouth wetted Souji’s lower lip as he slowly pulled away.  He then reclined the brunet down fully and rested his head on Yosuke’s neck.  Despite it being fairly innocent, Souji felt guilty somewhere deep down, that he’d taken advantage of Yosuke’s sleeping form.  The silver-haired teen then rolled over, his back to his sleeping friend.  Souji found it difficult to sleep that night.

 

 

“Yosuke-san!”  Nanako cheerfully exclaimed as she darted from the doorway and latched herself onto the brunet.

“Hey there Nanako-chan, how’s Golden Week for you?”  Yosuke smiled and patted her on the head as Souji waved to Nanako’s friend and her mother at their door.

Nanako released Yosuke and grabbed his hand as she began walking between him and Souji, taking Souji’s hand in her other. “It was a lot of fun; Mai-chan’s oneechan showed us how to make a cat’s cradle!”

“A cat’s cradle…?” Yosuke looked baffled but Nanako was quick to respond.

“Yeah, it’s where you make figures and shapes with a long string using your hands.  It’s really fun but it can be really hard.”

“I’m glad you had a good time.” Souji smiled and Nanako beamed back at her oniichan, swinging on his and Yosuke’s hands as they walked back to the Dojima residence.

Once they were home, Nanako hurried off to her room to unpack her bag and Yosuke followed Souji upstairs to his room.  Yosuke dropped his bag on the floor between his feet as he sat on the couch.

“Did you bring that model you bought in Okina?” Souji asked, as he sat his bag beside the couch, removing a few articles of clothing to be put away.

“Yep, you said you’d show me how to build this thing, so I haven’t touched it.”

“Well, I guess we can get started now, if you want.”  Souji said as he folded a shirt.

Yosuke clasped his hands in front of himself and, wiggling his hips, he mimicked a high-pitched female voice, “Oooh Sensei, please show me how!  I’m really in need of your guidance!”

Between a small chuckle, Souji tossed a shirt at Yosuke’s face, “…You’re ridiculous.”

“Unf!” Yosuke failed to catch the shirt in time and snickered as he threw it back to Souji.  He then opened his bag and removed the model box, sliding himself off the couch and next to the table in the center of the room.

Souji grabbed two small boxes and set them on the table.  As he sat down, Souji’s knee lightly brushed Yosuke’s thigh but he said nothing of the minor contact.  Opening the boxes, he removed some tools and laid them out.  “Alright, go ahead and open yours.”

Yosuke opened the box and removed a few plastic bags, containing sheets of plastic model pieces.  Souji reached into the box and removed the instruction sheet, flipping it open.  “Wow, there are a lot of pieces…you sure I can do this?”

“I have faith in you.”

The precise bluntness of the comment made Yosuke stare at his partner briefly _.  He has faith in me…?  Don’t fuck this up or you’ll look like an idiot, Yosuke._  Taking a gulp, he stopped his stare just as Souji set the instruction sheet in front of him.

“These are the instructions, be sure to check them over before you try to start putting it together and use them as a guide while you assemble.  If you assemble things in the wrong order, other pieces might not fit on properly.  But, for now, you can start clipping the pieces.”  Souji picked up a pair of clippers and handed them to Yosuke.  Souji leaned over, brushing shoulders with Yosuke as he pointed on the paper.  “Here, see how it says 1A?”

“U-um, yeah.”

“Look on your sheets, there’s a small marking that indicates what sheet number it is.  You’ll start with that one.”

“Oh, okay.”  Yosuke opened one of the bags and removed the designated sheet, looking it over. “So, uh, now what?”

“Use the clippers and start snipping them from the plastic frame.  This is an SD kit, so the pieces are pretty large but on regular models the pieces can be a lot smaller and harder to discern from the frame.”

“Alrighty.”  Yosuke took the clippers and began snipping the pieces free, the plastic pieces falling to the table.

“See, you’re doing fine.”

“This isn’t so bad.” Yosuke grinned.

Souji smiled at the expression for a moment.  He then proceeded to open his own box and work on his own half-built model.

A few hours go by and Yosuke has successfully clipped out all the needed pieces and sanded the edges smooth.  Souji showed him how to assemble the pieces according to the guide and then decided to move onto gluing the pieces together.

“So on the foot, you take this piece and fit it inside the foot; it doesn’t matter which side of the foot you put it in.  Then, you apply a little glue along the edges and snap the other half of the foot onto it.”

“Heh, I’ve got it.”

As Yosuke fiddled with the small pieces, Souji went back to painting his model, concentrating on a tiny area.

“So, do I just hold it like this until the glue dries?”

Souji looked up and noticed that Yosuke had already put the joint inside the foot and snapped the pieces together. “Yep, it’s superglue so it shouldn’t take long.”  Yosuke nodded as Souji returned to painting.  While sitting and waiting, Yosuke studied Souji; he confidently applied paint in a slow, methodical manner from left to right and then top to bottom.  The way he controlled the paintbrush between his fingers was nothing short of masterful.

A few moments later, Souji rinsed his paintbrush in a cup and set it aside.  “Alright, that should be dry now.”  Souji leaned over as Yosuke released his pressure on the piece, tugging at his index finger.  “Hmm, you can let it go now.”

“I’m trying, but I think I stuck my finger in the glue while it was drying.”  Yosuke pulled at the piece, removing it from his finger, but a large patch of dried glue remained on his skin.  He picked at it, in an attempt to remove it, but to no avail.

Souji snickered out, “You dork.”  He stood and headed for the bedroom door. “Meet me in the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”

“Um, okay…”Shaking his head, he proceeded to the bathroom and waited for Souji, who returned a moment later. 

He set a small bottle on the counter and turned on the faucet, filling the sink a little and then turning the faucet off.  “Here, soak your finger for a minute, it will soften the glue.”  Yosuke did as he was told and Souji opened the container, which was sea salt.

“Salt..?”

The silver-haired teen poured salt into his hand, “Yeah, it works like an exfoliant and helps to rub the glue off.  Here.”  Souji pulled Yosuke’s hand from the water and blotted it with a towel before taking the finger into his own hand.  He began working Yosuke’s finger in his salt-filled palm, rubbing it into the glued spot.  His ‘partner’ was really quite good with his hands.  Not only was he neat and concise when handling the model, but he was sure and gentle in his handling of Yosuke.  The remaining water had been absorbed by the salt but left his hand cold and sensitive.  A little too sensitive, considering his best friend was essentially _holding his hand_.  Souji flicked his palm into the sink, removing most of the salt, but flipped Yosuke’ hand over and proceeded to rub the remaining salt granules directly onto his finger.  Souji’s hands were soft and his nails were perfectly trimmed and neat; they were far too delicate and beautiful to be on a man, in Yosuke’s opinion.

Yosuke’s mouth fell slightly agape as his breath hitched silently, feeling a tiny flutter in his chest.  Strong, warm hands, firm circular motions of grinding salt rubbed with a thumb.

_S-somehow, this is…_

Yosuke felt his face getting hot as his heart started pounding.  The way his slender, porcelain fingers ran along Yosuke’s fingertip, slowly working the salt around, was so firm yet gentle, it was almost like he was giving a massage.

Souji’s thumb rubbed side-to-side and top-to-bottom on the pad of the finger, with small and slow circles; gently moving up and down, along the sides of the fingertip, with such assured and dexterous motions.

_Why is it so sensitive??  He’s only rubbing my finger and…I’m seriously about to lose it._

He switched to a circular motion on the tip of the finger as Yosuke clenched his teeth.

Souji noticed his friend tensing and stopped, looking up, “What is it?”

“U-uh…”  Yosuke’s jaw was slack, staring his friend in the face blankly, he finally came up with a quick answer, “I scratched my finger the other day, I-I think some of the salt got into it, it kinda stings.”

“Oh, why didn’t you say so?”  Souji placed Yosuke hand on the water, brushing off the remaining salt.  He pulled his hand out and lightly picked at the patch of dried glue, catching a loose edge.  Slowly, he peeled it up until it was completely removed.  “There you go.”  Souji dropped the flake into the sink and released the drain stopper.

“T-thanks, man.”  Yosuke did his best not to look Souji in the face; his finger had been so sensitive that he was on the verge of an erection, and that piercing gray gaze was the last thing he needed at that moment.

“I think that’s enough models for you today.”

Yosuke chuckled nervously, “Eh, haha, yeah I guess so.”

“Come on, I think I’ve got a game we can play instead.”  Souji patted the counter dry and took the salt back to the kitchen as Yosuke made his way back to Souji’s bedroom.

_C-chill out, Hanamura…._

Yosuke took in a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling.  Feeling a little more relaxed, he sat down and packed away his model pieces, putting the box back into his bag just as Souji returned.

“Do you want to just leave this out?” Yosuke asked as he pointed to Souji’s model.

“Yeah, it needs to dry so it’s fine there for now.”  Souji pulled a game from his bookshelf and showed it to Yosuke.  “Is this alright?”

It was a fighting game they’d played before, but Yosuke didn’t care what they played, so long as he was able to get his mind off of Souji’s hands.  Soft, pale digits put the game into the console and handed Yosuke a controller; brushing his fingertips ever-so-slightly during the transaction. 

The game loads, characters are selected and the buttons get to being mashed.  It’s only a few rounds in before Yosuke finds himself sneaking quick glances at Souji’s hands, without even trying.  Again, his movements are concise and perfect as his slender fingers glide across the control pad.  Yosuke clenches his teeth as he tries to ignore it, but fails to do so.  Tightly closing his eyes for a moment in an attempt to remove the images from his mind, Yosuke was quickly defeated.  Having not paid attention, he also didn’t notice when Souji had turned around to check on him.  When a warm, gentle pressure found its way to his forehead, Yosuke’s eyes snapped open to see Souji sitting immediately in front of him.  His heart thudded loudly at the sight.

“Are you feeling alright, do you have a fever or something?”

_He’s…so close.  I could…_

**_Do it._ **

_…huh?_

**_Reach up and grab his hand._ **

_What the hell..?_

**_You want to kiss him, don’t you?_ **

“Yosuke?”

“I…do.”

Souji removed his hand, “Asking if you had a fever was more of a rhetorical question, but you do feel a little warm.  Do you want me to make you something to e-“

“I should get going.” Yosuke stood suddenly, grabbing his bag and stopping in front of the bedroom door.  “Um, sorry, Souji.  I really don’t want to get you sick.”

“I’ll walk you out, then.” Souji moved to get up but Yosuke waved him down.

“Nah, it’s okay.  I’ll see you later.”  Yosuke quickly made work of the stairs and, within seconds, closed the door to the Dojima residence behind him.  He rested his back against the door and slid down a little, placing his head in his palm.  Ragged, heavy breaths escaped his lips.

 _What…in the hell was that?_  

He frustratingly ruffled his hair in his hands

_Gah, I bet he’s mad now, considering I just ran out._

Yosuke began walking as he pulled out his phone, immediately sending Souji a text.

 

 **_Yosuke Hanamura_ ** _  
Um, sorry about the way I ran out.  I don’t want to get you sick right before we go back to school.  We’ll hang out again soon._

Souji, with a confused look on his face, put away the video game and finished unpacking his bag when his phone chimed.  He checked it immediately and smiled before responding.

 **_Souji Seta_ ** _  
It’s not like I’d get sick right away, but I understand.  Get some rest._

 **_Yosuke Hanamura_ ** _  
Yeah, I think I’m gonna go to sleep early, so I’ll text you when I get up._

 **_Souji Seta_ ** _  
Alright, take care Yosuke._

 

 

Yosuke turned off his phone, sliding it back into his pocket as he made his way home.  After helping his mother prepare dinner, he put away the few things from his bag and headed to bed early.  The rest of the evening had done well to remove the rampant thoughts of Souji from his head.  Surprisingly, he drifted off to sleep rather easily, but this night would not be peaceful.

The off-putting sterile stench, like that of a hospital, made Yosuke scrunch his nose.  His shoes squeaked on a slick, black and white checkered tile in a darkened room; a single dim light source hung from above, just ahead of him.  With slight hesitation, he headed towards the light, stopping shy of it as he noticed a person’s shape standing just outside the meager circle of illumination. 

“Who is that?”

A familiar voice, deep and smug, “Heh.  Hello there,” the form stepped into the light to reveal another Yosuke.  He raised his head to reveal piercingly vivid yellow eyes, “Me.”

“What…in the hell is this?  Why do you look like me?”

“How long do you think you can deny everything?”

Whoever this was, it was ignoring Yosuke’s question, which angered him.  “Answer me!”

“Ugh, you’re such a bore.”  The other Yosuke cocked over onto one hip, placing a hand on his waist, “I am you.  Your…shadow, if you will.”

“A…shadow?”

“That’s right, Hana-chan.”

Hearing that name, Yosuke clenched up and balled his fists.

“Aww, did that hit a nerve?  Poor baby.”

“Shut the hell up!”

“Haha, you’re so predictable.”

This ‘shadow’ was cocky and condescending, that was for sure.  Yosuke gritted his teeth, “You…why the hell are you in my dream?”

“Why?  Haha, because you’re such a loser you can’t come to terms with your own sorry feelings, that’s why!”

“Come to terms..?”

“Geez, are you going to repeat everything I say?  Let me make it simple enough so even _you_ can understand; I am a part of you, I always have been.  I am the embodiment of the true feelings that you lock away.”

“I’m not locking anything away, what the hell are you-“

“Quit with the bullshit.”  The blunt statement caught Yosuke off guard, silencing his protest.  “I already told you, I’m you.  I know everything about you, all your inner-most feelings and desires.  You’re trying to hide something very important, so I’m here to give you a swift kick in the ass.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, damnit!”

“Fine, I’ll give you a hint.”  The corner of the shadow’s mouth turned upward, into a sharp smile, “Partner.”

Yosuke’s eyes widened, “You…you asshole!  You were the one talking to me when I was with Souji, weren’t you?”

“Bingo.”

“But I’m not…I’m not locking anything about Souji away.”

“No?”

Yosuke stood stiff, unable to answer.

“So, everything you’ve experienced up until now…you’re going to ignore it?  You’re really going to ignore the feeling you get in your chest whenever he touches you?”

Yosuke tightened his fists again, turning his head to the side, “You don’t know anything about me,” he muttered in a low tone.

The shadow let out an exasperated sigh, “Whatever, but just so you know, I’ll be here to remind you of your mistakes until you realize it.”

“Realize what?”

“That you have feelings for Souji Seta.”

Yosuke took a half-step back, “You’re full of it, I don’t like Souji, he’s just…”  There was a pause in his words, in his resolve.

“He’s just…?”

“He’s my best friend, the first real friend I’ve had in a long time.  I’m not going to fuck that up with some stupid feeling bullshit.”

“Yet you agreed earlier that you wanted to kiss him.  So which is it?”

. . . . .

The shadow said nothing in response to his silence, causing Yosuke to look up at it, only to see a very displeased expression.

“I’m disappointed in you, Yosuke.” 

Yosuke said nothing in response but furrowed his brow.

“You’re so damn stupid.  You have a chance to really have something and you’re pissing it away.  After everything with Yumiya, now you-“

“DON’T EVER SAY THAT NAME!”  The immediate rage that surfaced was so intense that Yosuke’s body shook as he yelled.  “You say you’re me…how could you POSSIBLY be me and try to bring that up!  If you’re me, then you know…” Yosuke fell to his knees and bit his lip to stifle the tears he could feel welling up, “….you know….”  

The shadow stood, arms folded and a tight-lined lip.  “You’re such a loser, Hana-chan.”

**Author's Note:**

> Note on Use of Honorifics: I know there are some friends of mine reading this that are unfamiliar with honorifics and Japanese culture, so this is mainly a note for them.
> 
> Since this is English language, I'm having the characters mostly use first names, since it's what's most common for English-speakers. In the anime and game, it varies on where or not the MC is called by his first or last name, though it's usually his first name in the English release. Similarly, some honorifics are used as well, as they are in the game. The honorifics will change over time as the character's relationships change. Dropping the honorifics is usually a sign of very close friendship, as you wouldn't normally call someone by their first name with no honorific in Japan; it's considered rude unless you are very good friends, childhood friends or family. Yosuke speaks informally most of the time anyways, but he and Souji's honorific usage will change the most in a short period of time. Here is a *basic explanation* of the honorifics, for the readers unfamiliar. I am only explaining the usages I will be using, not every little exact situation in which the honorifics can be used. Go read up on them if you want to know more.
> 
> Sama - Used for all genders. A very respectful way of addressing those much higher in rank than oneself, to customers and sometimes those who are highly admired.
> 
> San - Used for all genders. Polite and very common honorific used for equals of any age and non-family members. 
> 
> Kun - Usually used for boys, male teenagers and any gender lesser in rank than the speaker; it is informal. Females use it to address a male with whom they are close friends, emotionally attached to or known a long time.
> 
> Chan - Usually used for babies, young children, female teenagers and for someone the speaker finds endearing or cute (any gender/age), though it can sometimes be considered condescending or intimate if used to describe a male adult.
> 
> Sempai/Senpai - Used for any gender. Only used when referring to those of higher rank in a school, club, company or group. Can be used without a name, as a stand-alone title. Not used for teachers/instructors.
> 
> Sensei - Used for any gender. Only used when referring to teachers, doctors, politicians and various authority figures. It is used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or some other skill, and is also applied to novelists, poets, artists, etc. Can be used without a name, as a stand-alone title.
> 
> Oniichan - Used for an older male sibling. Niichan is considered a more cute way of saying it.


End file.
